Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has approved the deployment of 45,000 police officers for the Anambra governorship election scheduled for Saturday, November 8, 2025.
Gatekeepers News reports that Egbetokun announced the plan on Tuesday during the meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja.
Represented by Abayomi Shogunle, Commissioner of Police in charge of the Special Intervention Squad, the IGP said the deployment aims to guarantee security before, during, and after the polls.
“Pre-election deployments will begin on November 1, with tactical units conducting clearance operations to neutralize threats and arrest potential troublemakers,” he said.
Egbetokun added that only security agencies officially represented in ICCES—including the Police, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the military—will participate in election duties.
“No vigilante group will be allowed to play any role in the electoral process,” the IGP stressed.
He also announced that there will be movement restrictions on Election Day and that all entry and exit points in the state will be adequately manned.
“We are determined to deliver a peaceful and credible election,” he assured.
On his part, National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu warned against any form of violence during the election, saying such acts would not be tolerated.
Represented by Hassan Abdullahi, Director of Internal Security in the Office of the NSA, Ribadu reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to maintaining peace throughout the electoral process.
“We are engaging with political leaders and local stakeholders to send a clear message that violence will not be tolerated,” he said.
“Enhanced surveillance, deployment of adequate security personnel, and improved intelligence gathering have been put in place to prevent any attempt by destructive elements or desperate politicians to undermine the electoral process.”
Ribadu added that the deployment plan aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s directive on the strategic mobilization of security forces during elections to ensure free, fair, and credible polls.
