2023 polls: Bauchi police bar vigilante groups, others from polling units, restrict movement

Bauchi State Police Command on Thursday barred quasi-security outfits owned by the state government, including vigilante groups, hunters, among others, from performing any security duty during Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections.

This is even as the command restricted unauthorised vehicular movement on election day between midnight of Friday, 24th February and 6:00 pm Saturday, 25th February, 2023.

These are contained in a release signed by the command’s Police Public Relations Officers (PPRO), SP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, made available to Track News in Bauchi.

According to the police spokesman, the command had put in place adequate security measures to ensure peaceful conduct of the general election, as well as provide a level playing ground for all political parties taking part in the elections across the 20 local government areas of the state.

Wakil stated that elections would be conducted in 212 wards, with a total of 4,074 polling units across the state.

He stated that the police, in synergy with other sister security agencies, had placed adequate security measures to ensure a safe, secure, and conducive environment for the conduct of the elections.

According to the PPRO, “It is only the statutory security agencies recognized by law that will be allowed to provide security for the election.

“Anyone found flouting the electoral laws or going about with arms is liable to be apprehended and prosecuted accordingly.

“There will be total restrictions on unauthorized vehicular movement on election day on roads, waterways and other forms of transportation between midnight of Friday, 24th February, 2023 to 6:00 pm Saturday, 25th February, 2023, on the election day, except those on essential services, such as INEC staff, ambulance, firefighter recognised election observers, etc. who must carry their valid identification card for identification for free passage.”

He added that important personalities and politicians (VIPs) are barred from going to any polling unit with their security details or orderlies.

While urging citizens to shun vote buying, vote selling, hate speech, fake news and other criminal acts, the PPRO stated that CP Alhassan warned that the command and other security agencies will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that all violators of extant laws, most especially the Electoral Act, 2022 (as amended), would be brought to book