The Rivers State Police Command says it is deploying 15,544 police personnel for the Governorship and State House of Assembly Elections billed for Saturday.

Mr. Usman Belel, the State Commissioner of Police, said this on Thursday in Port Harcourt at a news conference.

He said the deployment would be complemented by other security agencies to cover and protect the 23 Local Government Areas.

He said 319 wards and 4,442 polling units and 2,424 voting points would be covered by police personnel deployed for election duties in Rivers.

According to the Commissioner, three security personnel will be posted to each polling unit.

He said: “There will be an outer perimeter deployment of armed men to guide against infiltration and hijack of the process by hoodlums or persons that want to foment trouble.”

He added that apart from the deployment made to cover and protect the voting areas, a joint convoy patrol of security agencies would cover the entire state.

He said special attention would be on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) offices in the state.

The commissioner said all entry and exit points in Rivers would be closed by security personnel for the elections.

“There will be a total restriction of movement of persons, vehicles, boats, on land and waterways between 12.00 midnight on Friday and 6.00 p.m. on Saturday, except those on essential duties,” Mr Belel said.

He warned politicians and very important personalities (VIPs) against going to voting centres with their security details

He further warned them “to desist from moving from one place to the other on elections day as provided by the INEC guideline and Act”.

(NAN)