The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Abiodun Alabi says members of the Inter- Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) are battle ready for all “funny behaviour” in the forthcoming general elections in the state.
Alabi, the Co-Chairman of ICCES in Lagos State disclosed this on Tuesday in his remarks during a meeting of the committee, involving heads of all security agencies, with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Lagos State.
According to him, the committee members are ready to contend with anyone who will want to work against peaceful and credible elections in the state.
“I want to reassure all of us that we are preparing assiduously towards the forthcoming elections in terms of security, making the environment very conducive for free, fair and credible elections.
“We don’t want to rest on our oars. We are anticipating that there could be a pocket of protests here and there but we are always ready to content with them.
“We have been putting in place measures to prevent them from happening and by God’s Grace, it will not happen.
” In case anyone wants to come up with any funny behaviour we are battle ready to contend with it,” the police chief said.
Alabi said that though Lagos had so far remained peaceful, the security agencies had warned all with intention to disrupt the process to desist.
He commended all other security agencies for being on their guard in the ongoing political campaigns, rallies, processions and congresses by all political parties ahead of the elections.
He added: “With your collaboration, we have been having a very peaceful environment devoid of any serious security challenge.
“I just want to implore all of us to keep on doing what we are doing, to keep on collaborating and working in synergy the way we have been doing so that at the end we will have a success story to talk about in Lagos State at the end of the elections.
“I thank you for collaboration and for working well with us. We should keep the tempo on.
“Let us just please get prepared because I believe it is a very arduous task ahead of us- the Election duty,” Alabi said.
Also speaking, Mr Olusegun Agbaje, the Resident Electoral Commissioner and Chairman ICCES said that the gathering was to allow INEC and security agencies put heads together to address all threats to the forthcoming elections
According to him, the security agencies have been working very well in the state as commission has also commenced training of security personnel.
“Yesterday, we also began the senatorial districts’ training of security personnel that are going to work during the elections and it will end today.
“This will lead to the training of our other categories of ad hoc staff from Saturday and Sunday when the SPOs will be trained,” he said.
He said the security agencies would also focus on all identified flash points in the state.
INEC has fixed Feb. 25 for the Presidential and National Assembly Elections and March 11 for the Governorship and State House Assembly Elections.
The event had representatives from the Nigerian Armed Forces, Nigeria Civil Defense and Security Corps, State Security Service, Federal Road Safety Commission among others.
