In a statement by his media office on Friday, said the apex government can effectively manage possible security challenges that might crop up in the forthcoming general elections by recruiting ad hoc security personnel to augment the existing manpower.
With more hands, he said, cases of thuggery, ballot box snatchings, and assassinations of opponents in several flashpoints across the country won’t mar the smooth conduct of elections.
According to him, massive recruitment of ad-hoc security personnel to cover for the shortfall in the available number of policemen and other operatives was the key to ensuring sufficient room is not left for evil-minded persons to disrupt the elections in any way.
“From available statistics which peg the number of security men (policemen and others) at 350,000 all over the country, it is not possible to have adequate security cover for the 176,000 polling units on election day.
“And this shortage is what evil-minded persons intent on disrupting the elections would be looking forward to exploiting and causing mayhem as they have always done in years past.
“Unmanned polling booths are a sure recipe for danger. Polling officials are not safe. Voters are not safe. In fact, just about anything can happen.
“This is why I would want to suggest that ad hoc security personnel should be recruited and trained right away to help cover for the deficit we currently have.
“We should, as a matter of urgency, ask Nigerians who are patriotic and interested in seeing to the success of the upcoming elections to come forward and volunteer their services in order to ensure hitch-free polls,” he added.
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