Ahead of the November 8 local government elections, the Taraba State Command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has written to the inspector-general of police (IGP) for additional personnel to beef up security in some identified flash points.
The state commissioner of police, Betty Enekpen Isokpan Otimenyin, who disclosed this LEADERSHIP in Jalingo, said the command had taken stock of all the flashpoints in the state and mapped out strategies to arrest any situation that could mar the success of the election.
The CP, who assured the electorates of adequate personnel before, during and after the polls, reiterated the commitment of the IGP to democracy tenets.
“We have started working out on areas we suspect there might be challenges. We are going to get additional manpower from the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
We have requested for additional manpower, which the IG has promised to send to us. We have mapped those areas considered to be flashpoints,” Otimenyin said.
The CP, therefore advised electorates to adhere to simple electoral guidelines, adding that, all things been equal, there would be restriction of movement to check those carrying arms to intimidate voters.
“Just obey simple rules. If you are not meant for voting, don’t go to the polling unit and don’t be in the polling unit that you are not registered with. Stay in your house, if you don’t have anything to do there.
“Then, there will be restriction of movement to check people carrying arms and other dangerous objects to intimidate voters,” she said.
On the general security situation in the state, Otimenyin explained that Taraba is peaceful, compared to other states in the North East.
“Taraba is now enjoying some level of peace and peaceful coexistence among the different erhnic nationalities.
“As compared to other states, where there are a lot of issues in the North East, the security situation in Taraba is not that bad. Generally, the state is okay, there is relative peace in the state,” she added.
The CP, who pledged to make the state hostile for criminal elements, pledged to build and sustain the existing peace initiatives of Governor Agbu Kefas’s administration.
“During my tour of local governments, when I went to Wukari, I discovered there are some challenges there. But what we did was to deploy more security to Wukari.
“I sent an Anti-Kidnapping team there. I added a team of mobile men. They are all still on the ground. They will spend two months there, thereafter to enable us to do another review on the local government.
“But, in every other local government in the state, we are okay with the security situation there, except for additional manpower to some of the divisions to assist, but Wukari is the one that have some issues,” Otimenyin explained
