Police
Deploy 21,000 For Anambra Polls
• 3,000
Suspected Kidnappers To Be Charged To Court
The
Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Ibrahim Idris, has said that his
decision whether or not to appear before the Senate would be dependent on the
outcome of
his consultation with his legal team.
The IGP was
summoned to appear before the Senate over sundry allegations of corruption against
him by Senator Isah Misau, representing Bauchi Central.
This came
Friday as Idris disclosed that about 21,000 Police officers would be deployed
to Anambra State to provide security for the November 18 governorship election,
as well as aerial surveillance with the use of speedboats and helicopter.
The IGP told
State House Correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari that
his visit was to brief the President about the security challenges in the
country and how to tackle the development.
He said
3,000 suspected kidnappers arrested were already being held in various Police
detention across the country and would soon be charged to court.
Explaining
his mission, he said: “I am here as usual to discuss with the
commander-in-chief on the security challenges we are having and how we will face
these security challenges adequately.
“You know we
are having elections in Anambra State and we are having challenges in various
parts of the country, especially the issues of kidnapping, and these are things
I discussed with the President and the measures taken to address it squarely.”
On what is
being done to ensure adequate security during the Anambra election, the IGP
said: “We are deploying a lot of Police officers, almost about 21,000, to be
able to provide adequate security in the election.
“We are
deploying our water boats to take care of the waterways and our helicopters to
take care of the aerial surveillance, as well as our conventional policemen and
special police units to take care of situations on ground.
“And by the
grace of God, we are going to have a successful and peaceful election in
Anambra.” On whether he would appear before the senate, based on its summon, he
said: “These are legal issues, we are discussing with our legal team.
“Obviously,
if there is need, we are going to appear, for the sake of having respect for
the senate, I will appear before them.”
Regarding
the security situation on the Kaduna-Abuja highway, Idris disclosed that
special units have been deployed to the road and success already recorded,
while several kidnappers have been arrested.
“I want to
appreciate the effort of the National Assembly for providing sort of a death
penalty for suspects arrested that are involved in some of these cases of
kidnapping and I am sure that in some few weeks time, we are going to have
drastic fall in the report of some of these incidences of kidnapping on those
areas because of these punishment that has been made now by the National
Assembly.
“We are
taking them to court on everyday basis. Presently, we have almost over 3,000 suspects
in the various Police stations all over the country and we are taking them to
court.
“Recently, I
set up a task force to sort of streamline or scrutinise these cases, so that we
have speedy trial of some of these suspects.”
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