Raid black-spots in Ekiti No corps member died in Suleja blastAS part of measures to ensure a hitch-free presidential election tomorrow, the Police have issued an order banning the movement of people from 10.00 p.m. today till 6.00 a.m. tomorrow.According to a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Olusola Amore, in Abuja yesterday, the restriction of movement during the election would also be enforced between 8.00 a.m. and 6.00 p.m. tomorrow.The statement read: The Nigeria Police wish to inform the general public that the restriction of movement of persons during the April 2011 general elections will effectively remain in force till end of the elections.For the purpose of implementation and enforcement, movement of persons or group of persons is hereby restricted from 10pm of Friday 15th April, 2011 to 6am of Saturday 16th April, 2011; while there will be restriction of movement of persons from 8am to 6pm on Saturday 16th April, 2011 during voting period.This order is to enable all law enforcement agents monitor the activities of miscreants, thugs and other criminal elements who may plan to use the eve of the election day to perpetrate their nefarious acts to disrupt the smooth conduct of the elections.Persons on essential duties and INEC officials are exempted from this restriction order as they will be properly identified with their service identity cards.Meanwhile, contrary to media reports, DIRECTOR-GENERAL, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig.-Gen. Muharazu Tsiga, has disclosed that no corps member was killed in last weeks bomb blast at the Suleja, Niger State office of the Independent National Election Commission (INEC).However, Tsiga said he wished the perpetrators would be apprehended, tried and sentenced to death for the crime in which no fewer that 12 people lost their lives.Tsiga expressed this wish in Abuja on Wednesday during a visit to his office by Chairman, INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, over the incident.He assured corps members participating in the elections of their security and pledged the NYSCs commitment to credible polls in the country, saying: I want to assure you that we will continue to support you (INEC) and we promise to come out with a credible and peaceful election.Jega corroborated Tsigas submission, saying that no serving corps member died in the Suleja blast.The INEC chief added: From our investigation, many of them that were involved in the blast have since been discharged.I am assuring all that those who are out there to frustrate the election will not succeed. Their plan was to create fear but thank God their objective was not successful. We are working to ensure that at the election, welfare and security of corps members will be taking care of.Amore stressed: The Police will not condone any act or conduct that is inimical to the smooth conduct of the election as any mischief-makers will be arrested and dealt with according to the law.Nigerians are also enjoined to be vigilant at all times particularly at voting arena where objects such as explosives or bomb can be kept by criminal elements just to destabilise and cause death of innocent citizens.The Nigeria Police are using this medium to assure all Nigerians that all law enforcement agents are working in collaboration to ensure violence free and fair elections.All eligible voters are advised to go out and cast their votes without fear of molestation and they are also enjoined to leave the immediate voting vicinity and allow their various party agents to take the responsibility of protecting and watching all votes cast until they are duly counted and recorded by the INEC officials.Also, preparatory to tomorrows presidential polls, the Ekiti Police Command has raided hotels and black spots in the state and arrested hoodlums who might be used to cause violence during the election.The Commands Spokesman, Mohammed Jimoh, disclosed this yesterday after stakeholders meeting held ahead of the polls.According to him,we have raided some hotels and black spots in the state. We did that in order to foil any attempt by some unscrupulous politicians who may want to use hoodlums to cause violence during the elections.The raid paid off and we made some arrests. Some of those arrested were found with some dangerous weapons. We have arraigned some of the suspects while we are investigating others.Though he did not disclose the number of hoodlums arrested, Jimoh said that no fewer than 7,500 security agents would be on duty for tomorrows election to ensure a hitch-free exercise in the state.In a related development, the Lagos State Police Command yesterday warned that anyone caught in any act capable of disrupting tomorrows Presidential Election would not be spared irrespective of his status.The states Commissioner of Police, Suleiman Abba, issued this warning during a meeting with Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers, Squad Leaders and the media at the commands headquarters, GRA, Ikeja.Observing that a lot was at stake for politicians in tomorrows election, Abba, however stressed that as high as the stakes are, all stakeholders must play the game according to the rules.He said that the Police would be on the look out for acts of impersonation, improper use of voters card through under-aged voting, bribery and corruption and voting by unregistered persons.Also, ahead of the election, a non-governmental organisation, National Association for Peaceful Elections in Nigeria (NAPEN), has identified the North-East, particularly Borno and Bauchi states as flash points for possible electoral violence and called on the Federal Government to deploy enough security personnel to protect lives and property across the country.Executive Chairman, NAPEN, Prof. Suleiman Borogo, who disclosed this at a media conference in Abuja, also identified Bayelsa, Benue, Imo, Akwa Ibom, Katsina, Borno and Bauchi as possible flash-points during the forthcoming governorship election and urged government to put necessarily measures in place to avert any problem in these states.Borogo decried the high level of desperation and intolerance among politicians who want to clinch power at all cost and urged INEC to apply the Electoral Act in full to prosecute anyone caught perpetrating electoral violence.He said:The culture of impunity will destroy our democracy. Only freely elected leaders deserve our respect and Nigeria is greater than each of us. Politics in Nigeria is becoming increasingly violent because of the fact that political offices are very attractive and most politicians see political office as a way of enriching themselves rather than a call for service. There is need to make political offices less attractive to ensure that only those who are ready to serve the people seek political office and INEC should prosecute electoral officers involved in manipulation of votes and all those behind electoral violence.And, the Imo Indigenes in Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Lagos Chapter have charged INEC to cancel the polls in areas where electoral malpractices were recorded in last Saturdays National Assembly election as well as subsequent polls.Chairman of the group, Isaac Umeh, stated this yesterday in Lagos, stressing that this will act as a deterrent to selfish politicians in the upcoming elections.
Click here to read full news..
