NSCDC, police identify flash spots ahead of Saturday’s election

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) says it has identified 60 flash spots in Edo ahead of the Saturday’s Governorship Election in the state.

Mr Gbenga Agun, the state Commandant of the NSCDC disclosed this on Friday in Benin during an interview with the newsmen.

Agun, who said that the spots cut across the three senatorial districts, noted, however, that personnel of the corps had been deployed to those areas for maximum security.

Earlier, while briefing the 6,464 personnel deployed to the state for the election, Mr Philip Ayuba, the Deputy Commandant-General for Edo election, warned the officers against wearing of uniform which does not conform with the dress code of its personnel.

He explained that this was to avoid a situation of infiltration into the ranks of personnel of the corps.

According to him, there are reports of some persons are trying to infiltrate the personnel, but we have put measures in place to check it.

“We call on everyone to exhibit good habit; don’t be temperamental. Try to be friendly in telling people to do what they are supposed to do and then, try to also present us well.

“Make sure you abide by the rule of the game. Rule of the game is to be in your normal uniform. Anybody that is not in the right uniform according to the guidelines for this election will be denied.’’

The deputy commandant-general said the corps was ready to ensure that the gubernatorial poll was free, fair and credible.

He added that the personnel would join the leading agency and other sister agencies to ensure nobody was intimidated while trying to perform his or her civil duty.

“The rule is to ensure that people are given the opportunity and people are not disenfranchised from casting their votes.

“We want you to perform your duties. Don’t do anything that will cause any problem there and don’t help any other person to commit crime while in their points of duty.

‘’Whatever you do, it is not going to be we; it is going to be I. That is what the uniform says. If you commit anything, they will call the civil defence, but at the end, it will be only you,” he warned.

In terms of critical national assets, the NSCDC boss explained that some men and officers had been deployed to man those assets.

“One of our mandates is to secure the critical national assets and that is why we have deployed our personnel to man those assets.

“Besides those going to polling units, we have officers in some strategic areas too and many of them have even left for their duty post,” he said.

Similarly, DIG Frank Mbah, the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Edo Election said that ahead of the exercise, the state command of the Police Force had identified some flash points and black spots.

Mbah said that in order to mitigate the likely consequences of those discoveries, the force had carried very specilaised and specific target-oriented operations aimed at dealing with those challenges.

‘’But you will understand that some of these operations are classified and so, I may not be giving you details more than what I have just told you. But you can be sure that we have our eyes on those areas.

‘’We are carrying out the perceived intelligence-driven operations around those areas, and we will leave no stone unturned to ensure that we are able to deliver an atmosphere that is peaceful enough for this election to take place,’’ he said.