Military Deploys Gunboats, Personnel For Ondo Governorship Election

The Nigerian military has disclosed that it will leave nothing to chance in providing adequate security before and during the October 10 governorship election in Ondo State.

This is as it disclosed that between 200 and 300 soldiers will be deployed to the riverine communities of the state to ensure peaceful polls.

This is in response to the identification of the coastal areas as potential security black spots by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in its plans for the Ondo governorship election and its subsequent request for the help of the Navy and Military Police to flush out the threats.

With less than a week to the scheduled polls, the military has disclosed that hoodlums and criminals will have no hiding place during the election.

The Public Relations Officer of the 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigeria Army, Akure, Captain Ayo Omojokun, on Friday, said, “We are deploying between 200 and 300 men to the coastal areas for the election.”

The Information Officer of the Nigeria Navy Forward Operating Base, Igbokoda, Lieutenant Attah Sule, also said, “60 men will be deployed for the election with six gunboats and five speedboats.”

Naija News also understands that officers and men of the Nigerian Navy and the Army had, on Thursday evening, carried out an exercise tagged ‘Show of Force’ on waterways in the Ilaje and Ese Odo local government areas of the state.

Speaking on the exercise, the Commander of 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigeria Army, Akure, Brig-Gen Zakari Abubakar, said the aim of the exercise was to signal a warning to hoodlums on the waterways that the security agencies were combat-ready to ensure that the election was violence-free.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) will also complement security and safety plans by deploying about 1,500 personnel for the election.

The Corps Public Education Officer, ACM Bisi Kazeem, in a statement on Saturday said the Corps Marshal, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, also approved that 30 vehicles, including tow trucks, ambulances and other operational vehicles, be deployed for the exercise.

He said the Zonal Commanding Officer, RS11HQ Osogbo, Assistant Corps Marshal Godwin Ogagaoghene, would lead the team.

Similarly, this online news medium recalls the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, on Friday, disclosed that the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Research and Planning, Adeleye Oyabade, will oversee the general security arrangement for the governorship election in the state.

Meanwhile, supporters of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have again clashed with those of Eyitayo Jegede, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ahead of the October 10 Ondo governorship election.

Naija News reports that the clash between supporters of the rival political parties resulted in the death of a yet-to-be-identified man.

It was gathered that Akeredolu and Jegede’s supporters clashed at Oba Nla area of Akure, the state capital, on Saturday night.

The incident also left several persons injured while many vehicles were vandalized during the confrontation, according to SaharaReporters.