‘Unarmed policemen’ll be at polling units in 2015’.

Policemen at the various polling
units during the 2015 general
elections will not be armed, the
Force Headquarters has said.
It stated that three policemen
would be at each polling station to
monitor the election and secure
electoral materials, noting that this
would be done in collaboration
with other security agencies.
The Force Public Relations Officer,
Emmanuel Ojukwu, who said this in
a telephone interview with our
correspondent on Sunday, added
that the police would ensure that
the electoral process was free, fair
and credible.
He added that the police high
command had prepared for a
successful transition process and
had equally trained its personnel to
conduct themselves in a
professional manner.
When asked what the Force intends
to do differently during the
elections to assure Nigerians of its
impartiality, Ojukwu explained that
the police had never been partial
to any political party, noting that
the police would “do what they
have always done.”
He said, “The police have never
been partial to any party. During
the elections, we will do what we
have always done to ensure that
the election is free, fair and
transparent. Three unarmed
policemen will be deployed to
each polling unit and they would
be supported by security
operatives from other agencies to
ensure a credible election.”
The police spokesman cautioned
politicians against over-heating the
system, stressing that the country
should not be destabilised on
account of the political ambition of
some individuals.
“The political temperature is rising
as expected, but we want to
caution politicians not to over-heat
the polity. Nigeria belongs to us all
and the country will continue to
exist after the election,” Ojukwu
noted.
He also advised the electorates to
conduct themselves peacefully
during and after the elections.
Again, he said they need to support
the security agencies to discharge
their duties of providing security
during the exercise.
The Chairman of the Independent
National Electoral Commission, Prof.
Attahiru Jega, had earlier called for
the deployment of unarmed
policemen and other security
personnel to man each polling
station during the election to give
voters the confidence to exercise
their franchise.
He stated that the police had
improved on their performances so
far, but added that they need to do
more to secure the 2015 elections.