The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has deployed CP Abayomi Shogunle as the new Commissioner of Police in charge of election security in the state.
The Anambra State Police Command disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, issued by its spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga.
The command said that Shogunle assumed duty on November 4 and would oversee all policing activities related to the upcoming poll.
According to the statement, Shogunle’s posting is part of a strategic operational plan approved by the IGP “to enhance coordination and ensure a peaceful, credible, and transparent electoral process across the state.”
“The Commissioner of Police has activated the IGP’s Enforcement Protocol for anti-electoral offences to ensure zero tolerance for ballot snatching, vote-buying, political thuggery, and voter intimidation,” Ikenga said.
He added that a central command framework had been put in place for real-time intelligence sharing, joint response operations, and inter-agency coordination.
Recall that over 60,000 security personnel drawn from the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) are expected to be deployed across 5,720 polling units with tactical reserves stationed along inter-local government areas.
The police had announced a total ban on vigilante and quasi-security groups, including Agunechemba, stressing that only federal security agencies are authorised to provide election security duties under Nigerian law.
“VIPs are prohibited from moving around with armed escorts or security aides at polling or collation centres.
“Any violator will be apprehended, their escorts withdrawn, and prosecution will follow,” the police said.
Only accredited INEC officials, observers, and journalists would be permitted to move freely within designated election areas, the command added.
CP Shogunle, in his first directive, urged political actors, community leaders, and voters to work with the police and other security agencies “to ensure a calm and credible poll that reflects the will of the people.”
The Command reiterated its commitment to the safety of all residents before, during, and after the election and urged citizens to report any suspicious activities or election-related offences.
