The Rivers Police Command has warned troublemakers to steer clear of the state during Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections.
Mr Nanmdi Omoni, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and spokesman for the command, who gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt on Monday, said that offenders would not be spared.
Omoni recalled that 126 suspects were arrested in connection with the crisis that characterised the Presidential/National Assembly polls in Abonnema in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of the state.
He said the suspects had been transferred to the Force Headquarters, Abuja, and investigations were ongoing.
“We appeal to the public to go out peacefully and exercise their franchise.
“15,544 policemen will be deployed for the elections, to be complemented by other sister security agencies in the state,” he said
According to the spokesman, each of the 4,432 polling units in Rivers will be “covered” by three policemen to ensure that the (centres) are protected.
Omoni said the command did its job professionally by providing level playing ground for all political parties during the Feb 23 polls.
He said all the arrested persons in connection with various electoral offences during the last election and would-be suspects in the March 9 polls would be arraigned after the general elections.
He said there were “pockets of infractions” in some Local Government Area’s during the last elections, but the “police were not found wanting.”
