Ahead of tomorrow’s bye-elections in 13 states across the federation, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has reaffirmed earlier directives for the deployment of operational logistics to ensure a secure environment for free and fair polls.
According to a press release on Friday, 15 August 2025 signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the elections, scheduled for Saturday, 16th August 2025, will be held in parts of Anambra, Kano, Oyo, Taraba, Enugu, Adamawa, Edo, Jigawa, Kogi, Ogun, Zamfara, and Niger States.
To guarantee smooth operations, the IGP has ordered the deployment of senior officers, ranging from Assistant Inspectors-General of Police to Commissioners of Police, to provide supervision alongside State Commissioners of Police. Personnel from the Police Mobile Force, Special Intervention Squad, Force Intelligence Department, and other tactical units will also be on the ground.
The police chief further announced a restriction on all forms of vehicular movement—including road, waterway, and other means of transport, between 12 a.m. and 6 p.m. on election day in the affected Local Government Areas. Exceptions apply to essential service providers such as INEC officials, accredited journalists, election observers, ambulances responding to emergencies, and firefighters.
In addition, security aides to VIPs and politicians are barred from accompanying their principals to polling units and collation centres. State-owned security outfits, quasi-security agencies, and private guards are also prohibited from participating in election security duties.
Egbetokun urged deployed officers to adhere strictly to the Nigeria Police Force’s standard operational protocols for elections. He called on citizens to remain law-abiding during and after the polls, assuring that adequate measures are in place to safeguard their right to vote.
