Malik Yahya/
Restriction orders were today issued by the Police in Katsina State as a means of ensuring free, fair, credible and peaceful elections.
According to the police, the action was taken after due consultation with relevant stakeholders superintending and overseeing the forthcoming Elections on Saturday.
In a statement signed by the Commissioner of Police (CP) Sanusi Buba, the orders were listed thus:
“a. That there will be total restriction of movement of persons and vehicles from 6:00am – 6:00pm on Saturday, 9th March, 2019.
b. Politicians and Very Important Personalities (V.I.Ps) are barred from going to any voting centre with their security details and orderlies. Also they are warned to desist from moving from one place to another on that day as stipulated by the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).
c. All entry and exit points into the state are going to be manned and blocked by security personnel. No movement will be allowed until the elections are over.
d. The Police and other security personnel will be conducting robust and purposeful patrols to ensure compliance with this order and towards a hitch free exercise.
f. We have made adequate arrangement to provide security for all voters to come out en mass and cast their votes without any fear of harassment or molestation. All the nine (9) frontline LGAs bordering Rugu forest are being fortified with roving patrols to protect voters and safe guard INEC staff and materials.
g. Deployment of policemen and other sister security agencies to man the polling units have also been concluded.
g. We are calling on all good citizens of Katsina state to partner with the police and other security agencies to make the elections a success. Let me quickly warn that any attempt by any person or group of persons, to undermine our will, will be ruthlessly dealt with. Parents are hereby called upon to warn their wards to avoid any confrontation with the security agents. All acts of hooliganism, thuggery, snatching of ballot boxes, buying of votes or any activity detrimental to the success of this election or aimed at undermining the process will face severe consequences.
e. In this regard, the Commissioner of Police Katsina state Command, CP Sanusi Buba, psc, thanked the good people of the state for their cooperation and support to the Nigeria Police Force and indeed other security agencies for the successful conduct of the last concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections. We urged them to sustain the tempo towards a hitch-free Gubernatorial and State House Assembly elections comes this Saturday 9th March, 2019, please.”
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