The Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, has ordered a ban on vehicular movement, including roads, waterways, and other transportation modes, from 12 am to 6 pm in 26 states undergoing bye-elections on Saturday.
Egbetokun also prohibited the use security aides for VIPs at polling booths and state-owned security agencies from managing election security to prevent any interference.
Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Force Public Relations Officer, communicated the message in a statement issued on Thursday.
- “The Inspector General of Police, Okukayode Egbetokun, has ordered the restriction of all forms of vehicular movement on roads, waterways, and other forms of transportation from 12am to 6pm on election day in all states where elections will be conducted.
- “With the exception of those on essential services such as INEC officials, electoral observers, accredited media and observers both foreign and domestic, ambulances responding to medical emergencies, firefighters, etc., during the upcoming 2024 run-off and bye-elections scheduled to take place across 26 states on Saturday, February 3, 2024,” he said.
Adejobi further emphasized that election security management is off-limits for state-established and owned security entities, quasi-security units, and privately owned guard and security outfits.
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- Meanwhile, the directive is with the exclusion of those on essential duties such as officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, election observers, accredited journalists, ambulances responding to medical emergencies, and firefighters among others.
- Accordingly, the affected states are Ebonyi, Yobe, Kebbi, Lagos, Ondo, Taraba, Benue, Borno, Kaduna, Plateau and Akwa Ibom.
- Others are Anambra, Cross River, Delta, Enugu, Jigawa, Katsina, Adamawa, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Kano, Nasarawa, Niger, Oyo, Sokoto, and Zamfara.