PRESS BRIEFING BY THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE RIVERS STATE, CP USMAN A. BELEL ON GUBERNATORIAL AND HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS, SCHEDULED TO HOLD ON SATURDAY, 9TH MARCH, 2019 AT THE STATE HEADQUARTERS.

Good afternoon, Gentlemen of the Press.

Let me on behalf of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) welcome you to the Headquarters of the Rivers State Police Command on this auspicious day; to abreast you with the preparations so far made by the Security Agencies in ensuring that the Elections of Saturday will be peaceful, free , fair and devoid of  violence.

Recall that in the build up to the Governorship and House of Assembly Elections, there were meetings and Interfaces by the Security Agencies headed by my humbleself, where far reaching decisions and steps were taken to ensure that our traditional role of protecting the Electoral process was carried out unhindered.
3 Today, I have called you to brief you on the Security arrangements put in place to ensure that the Governorship and House of Assembly Elections are conducted in an atmosphere of peace, devoid of rancor.

As part of the Security arrangements for the Elections, the Command is deploying 15.544 personnel to be complemented by the deployments from other sister Agencies to cover and protect the 23 LGAs, 319 Wards, 4.442 Polling Units and 2.424 voting points in the State, to ensure full Security coverage of the process with 3 Security Personnel each posted to a polling Unit. There will also be an outer perimeter deployment of armed men to guide against infiltration and hijack of the process by hoodlums or persons that wont to ferment trouble.
Apart from the deployments made to cover and protect the Voting Areas, there will be in place a joint Convoy Patrols of the Security Agencies to cover the entire State, with special attention to INEC offices across the State.
For the purposes of the Elections , all Entry and Exit Points (in and out ) of the State will be blocked by Security Personnel, to guide against infiltration into the State by Miscreants or Persons not authorized to be in the State at that material time.
RESTRICTION OF MOVEMENT ON THE ELECTION DAY

In order to regulate and curtail the activities of mischief makers and provide a conducive environment for people  to exercise their franchise unhindered , the Inter- Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security ( ICCES ) after her meeting yesterday, agreed to place the  following Restriction Orders :-

That there will be total restriction of movement of persons, vehicles, boats, vessels or any mechanically propelled engine both on land and waterways, between the hours of 12 midnight on Friday 8/3/2019 to  6pm on Saturday 9/3/2019 except those on essential duties or duly authorized by law and eligible voters.

The stretch of Waterlines to GRA junction on the Port Harcourt Aba Expressway will be closed to all road users on both lanes from 12midnight Friday 8/3/2019 till further notice. The public is hereby advised to avoid this Stretch, as there will be diversion of movement from GRA junction and at the waterlines junction.

That Very Important Personalities (VIPs) and Politicians are barred from going to any Voting Centre with their Security details or orderlies. They are further warned to desist from moving from one place to another on the Election day, as provided by the Electoral Guidelines and Act.

NOTE: Movement is strictly restricted from places of abode to the Voting and back. 

No canopies should be erected close to any Polling Unit by food Vendors or any commercial activities carried out close to any Polling Unit.

The Police and other Security Agencies have been empowered to enforce compliance to the Restriction orders and to arrest and persecute violators.

Gentlemen of the Press, once again let me sincerely appreciate you for coming, even at this short notice.

I will continue to do my best to sustain the existing relationship with you, as together we will Police the Command. I strongly believe that the information shared with you today, will hit the target audience, as I urge you, the good people of the State to do well by obeying the Restriction order and go about your lawful activities unhindered and without molestation.

We promise not to let you down. Some contact lines have been made available for the public to reach us, in cases of Complaints, Emergencies or inquiries.

I wish you the best as you go to exercise your civic duties.

Thank you

CP USMAN A. BELEL.

COMMISIONER OF POLICE

RIVERS STATE COMMAND

PORT HARCOURT