The Police Command in Bayelsa State has announced restriction of movements ahead of Saturday’s bye-elections into the vacant seats of Bayelsa Central and West senatorial districts in the affected LGAs.
The state’s Commissioner of Police, CP Mike Okoli, who made this known to newsmen on Friday said students currently writing the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) examination will not be affected by the movement restriction, NAN reports.
He disclosed that 5000 security personnel have been mobilized for the election to ensure that the exercise is peaceful, while 10 mobile police units are to be deployed.
“The deployment of police personnel started yesterday, you know the terrain of Bayelsa is a riverine state.
“Most of them are moving through speed boats, gun boats and private hired commercial boats to far places like Southern Ijaw, Ekeremor, Sagbama, all those areas are riverine areas, and we have done adequate preparations to cover all the polling units.
“We are deploying 5000 personnel, out of that 5000, we have 10 police mobile units to cover the election, the unarmed men will be at the polling units while the Armed ones will be at distance away from the polling units.
“There will be vehicular restriction from 0600 hours to 1400 hours, when the exercise will be over, WAEC candidates will be allowed to pass through to write their examination.
“My appeal to the people of Bayelsa State is to give peace a chance to make sure they conduct themselves peacefully,” he said.
