The Bauchi State Police Command on Thursday prohibited quasi-security organisations run by the state government from providing any protection during the presidential and National Assembly elections on Saturday. This included vigilante groups and hunters, among others.
This is true even though the command barred unauthorised vehicle movement on election day between 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 25, 2023, and midnight on Friday, February 24, 2023.
These are stated in a statement provided to DAILY POST in Bauchi and signed by the command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil.
The command has put in place sufficient security measures, according to the police spokesman, to ensure the peaceful conduct of the general election and to create a level playing field for all political parties participating in the elections across the state’s 20 local government districts.
According to Wakil, there will be 4,074 voting locations throughout the state spread across 212 wards.
He claimed that the police had put in place sufficient security measures in coordination with other sister security agencies to create a safe, secure, and favourable atmosphere for the conduct of the elections.
Only legally recognised statutory security agencies will be permitted to offer electoral security, according to the PPRO.
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“Anybody detected breaking the electoral laws or carrying a weapon is subject to being detained and prosecuted as necessary.
Between midnight on February 24, 2023, and 6:00 p.m. on February 25, 2023, all unauthorised vehicular movement will be prohibited on roads, waterways, and other forms of transportation, with the exception of those providing essential services, such as INEC staff, ambulances, firefighter-recognized election observers, etc., who must carry a valid identification card for identification in order to pass unimpeded.
Important people, including politicians, are prohibited from visiting any polling place with their security details or orderlies, he noted.
The PPRO reported that CP Alhassan cautioned that the command and other security agencies will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that all violators of existing laws, most especially the Electoral Act, 2022 (as amended), would be brought to justice. He also urged citizens to avoid vote buying, vote selling, hate speech, fake news, and other criminal acts.
