25th March, 2015
The Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba, has clarified media reports that he said voters should go home after casting their votes. He said he only advised voters to leave polling centres after exercising their franchise but did not order them to leave.
He, however, said that those who desired to stay and monitor their vote should remain 300 metres away from the centres in line with the act.
Abba made the clarification in response to a question on Tuesday before a closed-door meeting with 90 commanders of some special units of the force.
“The police did not ban anyone from the polling units after casting their vote, we only advise people to cast their vote and leave the polling units,” he said.
The I-G further explained that he gave the advice as part of security measures to check violence and in line with the Electoral Act.
Abba charged the commanders comprising 59 Police Mobile Force Squadron commanders, 19 Counter-terrorism Units and 12 Special Protection Unit Commanders to be alive to their responsibilities.
He said that their units would be deployed as intervention teams on election days to respond to any outbreak of violence.
The I-G assured that all necessary measures had been adopted to provide adequate security in the 150,000 polling units across the country, as well as to prevent violence before, during and after voting.
He also said that the units would remain on ground to deal with any possible post-election violence.