The Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) of Police, Zone 2, Joseph Mbu, has fired a note of warning to politicians, not excluding governors, that all untoward behaviour negating the peaceful conduct of the forthcoming election in the zone will be summarily dealt with.
He made this known on Thursday, February 12, 2015 while paying an official visit to the Ogun State police command headquarters, Eleweran, charging officers of the command to swiftly round up any individual found with arms any where near a voting center or booth.
He told them: “I am here to encourage, support and advice you because we have a critical part to play in the forthcoming elections.
“Our actions and activities will go a long way to decide on this election, so, I have come to tell you that we must remain impartial in ensuring free, fair, peaceful and violent-free polls.
“As far as the law is concerned, we are not going to respect anybody and whoever is coming to the booth should vote and leave peacefully.
“Anyone who comes there to campaign even if it is the chief executive of the state, a constable at that polling booth would stop him.
“I am here to make sure everywhere is calm; I am not here at Zone 2 only for elections. The Zone 2 must not just fail during the elections. I am here to make sure everything goes on peacefully, but the police will arrest anybody that commits any electoral offences.
“Anybody found with arms would be arrested by the police and anyone that cannot be arrested; we will recover the arms by force.
“No politician or any of their followers must shoot at any policeman; if you shoot at any policeman, my policemen would shoot back in self defence.
“Our duty is to make sure that the elections are conducted freely, fairly and peacefully and violence-free. There must be a code of conduct that you have to uphold to make sure that we actualise our goals.”
