Ahead of the governorship primaries of the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party in Edo State, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu has deployed riot policemen in the state.
Edo State Police Command said on Saturday that on the request of the state Commissioner of Police, Johnson Kokumo, the IGP had approved the deployment of policemen in the state for the conduct of the party primaries.
State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Chidi Nwabuzor, confirmed that the state had received two detachments of Police Mobile Force from Delta and Bayelsa states.
He added that some of the policemen had already arrived in Benin City while others were still being expected. But he did not disclose the number of policemen for the primaries.
The police spokesman said, “The Edo State Police Command is ready to ensure that there are peaceful primaries and in doing that adequate security arrangements have been made by the Commissioner of Police, Johnson Kokumo. He is not doing it alone, he is working with the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Department of State Services, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in the state.
“Critical stakeholders have been reached. We have 192 wards in Edo State and the tactical teams from command levels will move to these wards according to their posting.”
Similarly, the state’s Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps Edo, Efosa Ogbebor, said the command would make use of armed and unmarked personnel for the forthcoming party primary elections.
“We do not disclose the number of personnel for security reasons. However, we have deployed adequate personnel, both armed and unarmed as well as intelligence for the party primaries. They are specifically for the exercise. We are fully on the ground with other security agencies to ensure that the exercise is carried out peacefully,” he said.