Date: 2015-03-27

The Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Mr Salihu Garba has said that the security agencies in the state would not allow any fake police or other security agencies to operate in the state during elections period.

Garba who stated this in Ilorin yesterday during a press conference ahead of March 28,2015 election, said all security agencies that would be operating in the state know each other and there were identity code for all of them.

It could be recalled that All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State had alleged that the main opposition party in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are making efforts to sew police uniforms ahead of the Election Day.

The party in a statement issued in Ilorin on Wednesday by its Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Sulyman Buhari, had said that “It is imperative to alert the good people of that the leadership of PDP, Kwara State chapter having reviewed the activities of its rampaging thugs and other rigging plans ahead of the forthcoming elections.

“At the meeting, amongst other decisions, the leadership of the PDP resolved to sew Police uniforms and uniforms associated with other security agencies for its thugs with the hope of deploying the uniformed thugs to manipulate the forthcoming election in favour of the PDP.

“Another set of armed thugs would also be dressed in black suits and traditional Babbanriga attire, according to a credible source.”

While reacting to the allegation, the Commissioner of Police described the allegation as a rumour, stressing that all the security agencies in the state have been meeting and strategizing on the effective security of the state.

Garba said even the military that were deplored to the state from other states arrive five days ahead of election to ensure that they familiarize themselves with the state.

The Police boss added that whoever paraded himself or herself as a fake security agency risks arrest and prosecution stressing that such fake officers will end in shame.

While dismissing rumours of industrial strike by officers in his command, Garba said all the allowances of his officers including election stipends have been paid, stressing that payment of March salaries would be completed by Friday after the last deployment of officers were done.