The police have vowed to go after fake security personnel recruited by politicians to compromise Saturday’s governorship election in Bayelsa.
Daniel Sokari-Pedro, the deputy inspector general of police (DIG) for South-south, told reporters on Friday in Yenagoa that the police would track and arrest the fake law enforcement agents.
He said that the intention of such politicians was to cause problem and disrupt the electoral process.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the alert by the police may not be unconnected with reports that some politicians have provided military uniforms to thugs recruited to disrupt the election.
Mr Sokari-Pedro said anyone caught would be decisively dealt with and prosecuted according to the law.
“It has come to my notice that politicians have been using some fake law enforcement agents.
“I want to assure you that whether such law enforcement agents are fake or real, if they are arrested, they are in serious trouble.
“They will blame the day they were born into this world, I assure them.
“Whether they are fake or real, the issue is that they are disturbing the electoral process,” he said.
The DIG also warned politicians making inflammatory statements to further charge the already tensed atmosphere in Bayelsa ahead of the election.
The DIG advised such politicians to refrain from their divisive utterances as the police and other security agencies would not spare anyone trying to compromise the peace of the state.
“I want everybody to thread with caution, the election is just a few hours away, we should give peace a chance and ensure we don’t make unnecessary inflammatory statements.”
Mr Sokari-Pedro further warned that the police would not be stampeded to abandon their professional duties through baseless allegations.
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“About three or so days since I came here, the place has been inundated with complaints from several quarters, all of them having to do with this election issue in Bayelsa. That is unfortunate.
“As it has to do with our preparation for the election, let me sound this loud and clear, that there is no place under the earth where election takes place that there is no complaint.
“But this election complain should not be used to judge police preparedness, and that should not in any way depreciate the election which has not taken place.
“Whenever such complains come, we will surely investigate them, but I want to appeal to politicians from all divide, that they should stop condeming the police when the election has not even taken place,” the DIG added