The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun has approved the deployment of 45,000 police officers to ensure a peaceful conduct of the Anambra State governorship election scheduled for Saturday, November 8, 2025.
Egbetokun made this known on Tuesday during a meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) held at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja.
Represented by the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Special Intervention Squad, Abayomi Shogunle, the IGP said the massive deployment was part of measures to guarantee adequate security before, during, and after the polls.
According to him, pre-election deployments will commence on November 1, with tactical units expected to carry out clearance operations aimed at neutralising threats and arresting potential troublemakers.
Egbetokun clarified that only security agencies officially represented in the ICCES, including the Police, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the military will participate in election duties.
"No vigilante group will be allowed to play any role in the electoral process," he warned.
The police chief further stated that there would be movement restrictions on Election Day, while all entry and exit points across the state would be tightly secured to prevent infiltration by criminal elements.
"We are determined to deliver a peaceful and credible election," he assured.
Also speaking at the meeting, INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, reaffirmed that the Commission is fully prepared for the Anambra poll, assuring Nigerians that all necessary logistics and security arrangements are in place to guarantee a smooth exercise.
In his remarks, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, urged political actors and stakeholders to shun violence, warning that the Federal Government would not tolerate any form of disruption during the election.
Ribadu, represented by the Director of Internal Security, Hassan Abdullahi, stated the government remains resolute in providing a safe and secure environment for the conduct of the election.
"We are engaging with political leaders and local stakeholders to send a clear message that violence will not be tolerated.
"Political parties and candidates must promote peace and discourage violence before, during, and after the polls," he said.
He added that his office is working in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to ensure strategic deployment of security forces, improved intelligence gathering, and enhanced surveillance to forestall any attempt by "destructive elements or desperate politicians" to undermine the credibility of the election.
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