Less than 24 hours to Saturday’s governorship and House of Assembly elections, the Bauchi State Police Command on Friday restricted all forms of unauthorized human and vehicular movements during the elections, even as it barred very important personalities/politicians from going to their polling units with their security details.
The restriction order is contained in a statement signed and made available to Media Talk Africa by the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, adding that the restriction order will be effective from midnight of Friday to 06:00 pm of Saturday, 18th March, 2023.
According to him, “The step taken is to ensure public order management and the safety of electorates as well as assist the security agencies with effective policing and to deter miscreants from disrupting the electoral process.”
Wakil, a Superintendent of Police (SP), stated that in view of this, the command emplaced restriction on persons and vehicular movement across the state; unauthorised vehicular movement on roads and other means of transportation between midnight of Friday to 06:00 pm on Saturday.
He, however, added that the restriction order would not affect essential services; Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) staff, ambulance, firefighters, and approved election observers with due means of identification.
“VIP security aides and escorts;
important personalities and politicians (VIPs) are equally barred from going to a polling unit with their security details on election day,” the PPRO stated.
He then urged members of the public to contact the police, the joint election monitoring group and operations control room via the ‘NPF Rescue Me App’ available on Android and IOS, or via the NPF Rescue Me Emergency Toll-free line on 08031230631, 08151849417 or 09053872273 to report suspicious persons, activities or request security response.
