Published 26th Oct, 2021

By Gabriel Ogunjobi

Based on the outcome of the election security threat analysis conducted by the Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB), Usman Alkali Baba, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), has said that 34,587 personnel would be deployed for the upcoming Anambra election.

According to a 25-page document FIJ exclusively obtained, the personnel would be drawn from 27 state police commands, which are: Anambra, Delta, Ondo, Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Lagos, Edo, Imo, Abia, Rivers, Bayelsa, Kogi, Akwa Ibom, Benue, Niger, Nasarawa, Enugu, Ebonyi, Cross River, Kano, Kwara, Plateau, Bauchi and Taraba.

Personnel from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) command and visiting police officers from the IGP’s secretariat, force headquarters, and so on, will also be in the state for the election.

The police authorities have also ranked IPOB and its combat arm, Eastern Security Network (ESN) as top threats ahead of the election.

IPOB, through its spokesman, Emma Powerful, had threatened to effect a one-week sit-at-home order across the southeast, including Anambra, if the Nigerian government doesn’t release Nnamdi Kanu, their leader, by November 4.

Abubakar Malami, the Attorney-General of the Federation, recently accused Kanu of being responsible for the death of Dr. Chike Akunyili, the husband of late Prof. Dora Akunyili, a former Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and Ahmed Gulak, a former presidential aide.

According to the police operation order for Anambra election, the Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) across the state’s land borders such as Ndoni/Ogbaru in Rivers State, Asaba/Ogbaru in Delta State and others are to ensure the lockdown of the borders. Police Mobile Force (PMF), Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) and military officers would be equally deployed to enforce restrictions of movement along the identified roads throughout the period of the election.

FIJ reliably gathered that there would also be a show of force on Thursday, November 4, at about 9:30 am, and a repeat of it on Friday, November 5, at about 8 am in all the three senatorial districts of Anambra.

In the election to be held on November 6, 18 political parties across 326 wards of 21 local government areas will be vying for the seat of Anambra State Governor. Voting exercises are expected to take place at 5,720 polling units.

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