2023 election: FG moves against Simon Ekpa

The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, has disclosed that the Nigerian authorities will go after Simon Ekpa, who claims to be a member of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.

Alkali made the disclosure While appearing at the Ministerial Media Briefing organized by the Presidential Communications Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Alkali said the federal government is not taking lightly, the threat from Ekpa, who has said that there will not be elections in the southeast.

He noted that the threat made by Ekpa against conducting elections in southeast was an attempt to destabilize the country.

It was reported that Ekpa, who resides in Finland and is allegedly being sponsored by some external forces outside the southeast and a few miscreants within the zone is responsible for the continued lock-down of the economy through the so-called sit-at-home on Mondays and some other designated days.

The IGP also said that about 404,106 personnel from police and other security agencies will be deployed for the conduct of the February 25 and March 11 elections in the country to ensure the smooth conduct of the exercise.

He also said that out of the 404,106 security personnel, the police will be providing 310,973 personnel while the balance will be sourced from complementary security agencies in the country.

Baba also said other security agencies besides the military and the Department of State Services ,DSS, will compliment the efforts of the police with a total of 93,133 personnel, bringing all to 404, 106 personnel.

“Nigeria police will deploy 310,973 personnel for the elections’ security operations. This will comprise of the conventional policemen, the mobile policemen, the special counter terrorism unit, the special forces, intelligence response team and other sections of the police.

“The manpower requirement for this exercise will be complemented by the military and other security agencies. In this regard, aside the military and the DSS, other security agencies will contribute a total of 93,495 personnel for the election security operations.

“These include the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense, which will deploy, through the Police, 51,000 personnel; the Federal Road Safety Corps, 21,000; Nigerian Correctional Service 11,336; the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, 9,447; Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, 350, totalling 404,106 to the elections.”