Police deploy anti-terrorism squad to INEC headquarters

*As politicians express anxiety over candidates’ list

BY OKEY NDIRIBE

ABUJA – Security at the headquarters of  Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was yesterday beefed up with the deployment of officers and men of the Anti-terrorism Squad, ATS, of the Nigeria Police.

Investigations by Vanguard indicated that the ATS personnel, whose attire looked like those of anti-riot policemen but with red berets, were stationed at strategic positions within and around INEC headquarters.

The gun-wielding ATS personnel who were apparently on high alert, disallowed any vehicle from parking or dropping off any passenger some metres away from the only entrance into INEC office.

Individuals passing through Zambezi Street, where the commission’s headquarters is located, were also prevented from passing through the side-walk or getting too close to the wall of INEC headquarters.

It was learnt that the deployment of the squad to the electoral commission’s headquarters became necessary, following increased violence across the country since INEC offices could become targets of political thugs and other miscreants  who do not want the elections to hold.

The squad thoroughly screened all incoming and outgoing vehicles as well as staff and visitors to the commission’s headquarters.

In a related development, anxiety among politicians from different political parties has remained high over the list of candidates for the forth-coming poll published by INEC on its website. Investigations have revealed that the list is either incomplete in some cases or fraught with errors in other cases.

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