Ahead of Saturday’s Governorship and State House Assembly elections, the Ebonyi State Police Command on Thursday said it has beefed up security around flash points across the state to ensure safety of lives and property.

Addressing journalists at the State Police Headquarters in Abakaliki, the state capital, the Commissioner of Police, Awosola Awotinde, revealed that the flash points had been identified in some local government areas of the state. He stressed that officers and men of the Command had been deployed to the troubled points.

According to Awotinde, the police will remain impartial during and after the election to ensure the safety of human and material resources throughout the election.

He warned trouble makers to desist from causing mayhem in the election as no stone would be left unturned to ensure peaceful conduct of the election in the 13 LGAs of the state.

The Police Commissioner called on Ebonyians to report the activities of any miscreants or hoodlums with the intention to cause mayhem in the state. He revealed that six lines had been dedicated for members of the public to call in case of any distress situation.

He said: “We the police, in conjunction with other security agencies, are ready as usual to provide adequate security for them before, during, and after the election. People should go and exercise their franchise that day.

“I am using this opportunity to warn troublemakers to desist from it or relocate because they are not going to find it easy as we have been dealing with them already, we will continue to deal with them.

“We also want to inform the general public that if there is any breach of the peace they should call the numbers we have already made available to them for quick res

“We have join operation room with the military, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and others. They will be on throughout the elections. They have about two patrol teams that will respond to distress calls throughout the election period.”