Date: 2015-03-29

The Kwara State’s Police Commissioner, Salihu Garuba, sounded a note of warning to contestants and voters in Kwara, saying he would not compromise the stand of the Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, on maintaining adequate security.

Order by Garuba that all used tyres be put away to prevent hoodlums from using them sent fear down the spine of many vulcanisers, who made last minute efforts to dispose off such tyres.

The level of compliance, according to the state’s Chairman of Vulcaniser Association of Nigeria (VAN), Sheu Oladele, reflected the readiness of his members to make elections in the state hitch free.

The Nigerian army also allayed the fears of Ilorin residents over the deployment of personnel to strategic locations within the metropolis and adjoining settlements.

According to the Public Relations Officer of 22 Armoured Brigade, Sobi, Ilorin, Lt. Weri Finikumor, the soldiers were deployed in Ilorin and the other Local Government Areas LGAs) of the state for the election. Finikumor said the soldiers would maintain security, not meddle with conduct of the polls.

He added that the soldiers would be 300 meters away from polling booths and would not be involved in anything pertaining to election materials including ballot papers and boxes.

He added that the police would be involved in security around polling units while soldiers could intervene on invitation of the police, if there was a major security threat.

The spokesman of the state’s INEC, Jacob Ayanda, urged registered voters not to be indifferent to the polls, just as he disclosed the readiness of the electoral body to conduct hitch free elections across the state.

Ayanda said: “All the needed materials for the polls have been delivered to us and have equally been shared across the states among our staff.”