IGP Arase Confirms 3 Dead In Bayelsa Poll

The Inspector General of Police Solomon Arase on Tuesday, January 12, said that three person were killed during last Saturday’s supplementary election in Bayelsa state, Daily Post reports.

This is contrary to reports that several persons lost their lives during the election.

Arase made this disclosure when Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the minister of Information and Culture met with the Police Management Team at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

On his part, Lai Mohammed appealed to the police to provide more security cover for vulnerable places across the country in order to prevent attacks by Boko Haram insurgents.

Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase confirms three dead in Bayelsa poll

He said: “As we have told Nigerians on many occasions, our military has decimated Boko Haram and uprooted them from the territories they once controlled. What the terrorists are now engaged in are attacks on soft targets, by which I mean highly-vulnerable places like markets, motor parks, as well as worship and entertainment centres, etc.

“Herein lies the important task of the police, the body statutorily given the role of maintaining law and order.

“The police, leveraging its large network, its investigative capacity and the fact that its personnel reside largely among the people, are now required to step in to protect these vulnerable places.

“This they can do by working with transport workers, market women, local government councils and police public community relations councils, faith-based organizations, community development councils and other necessary stakeholders.

“May I also use the opportunity of this visit to formally convey to the Inspector-General the message from the Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria (BON), when I met with their members last week in Abuja. They asked me to implore the Inspector-General to provide 24-hour police protection, at no extra cost, for the premises of their organizations. I am hereby presenting and endorsing their demand.”

In his response, Arase said the visit was an opportunity for the police to draw from the vast and fertile experience of the Minister within the national space to enrich policing in Nigeria.

He said: “In this regard, it is particularly appreciated that the Hon. Minister could deploy the broad network of his ministry to support the leadership of the Nigeria Police in advancing the concept of police-community partnership and to aid in enlightening the general public down to the grass roots on their civic responsibilities in relation to national security and crime prevention.”

Governor Seriake Dickson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won the Bayelsa supplementary governorship poll following official results collated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on January 10.

Dickson won seven out of the eight local governments in the south-south state defeating Chief Timipre Sylva of the APC after a keenly contested election.

Merged with the result of the December 5, 2015 election, Dickson polled a total number of 134, 998 votes, while Sylva polled 86,852 votes.