The Oyo State Police Command has assured and allayed the fear of residents on security of lives and property as the state’s Local Government Council election is fast approaching.
The Commissioner of Police (CP), Adebola Hamsat, while speaking on Wednesday, during his visit to the office of the Chairman, Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC), Agodi Quarters, Ibadan, expressed the readiness and commitment of the command to ensuring a peaceful environment across the state on the day of election.
Hamsat said the visit was to know the level of the preparedness of OYSIEC, discuss areas of concerns, and share intelligence to have a hitch-free election, noting that the police would collaborate with its sister agencies and strategise with a view to ensuring that the election was conducted in a peaceful atmosphere.
Boycott the election
The CP described local government administration as where residents enjoy the real dividends of democracy, admonishing eligible voters not to boycott the election for any reason.
He assured the electoral umpire of continued collaboration and support, noting that the assignment given to the command by OYSIEC would be done professionally and with utmost dedication.
Hamsat noted: “We should not have apathy based on security concerns, the Nigeria Police Force with other sister security agencies, are ready to police the election. The Command assures professional competence, and by God’s grace, everything will go well. “
The OYSIEC Chairman, Aare Isiaka Olagunju, SAN, appealed to the Command to intensify its efforts for residents to have confidence that the election will be peaceful, harping on the need for security agencies in the state to ensure anyone who breaches election guidelines on the day of the election does not go unpunished.
While appreciating the police for their visit, Olagunju hinted that arrangements are ongoing for the signing of a peace accord by political parties and other relevant stakeholders ahead of the election, scheduled for 27th April, 2024.
Lateefah Ibrahim
