The Anambra State Police Command has denied reports that personnel on election duty were protesting non-payment of allowances.
There were reports trending on social media alleging that some police personnel were chanting solidarity songs, demanding their duty allowance for election coverage.
Police authorities, however, dismissed the claim as unfounded, according to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Mr Aderemi Adeoye, a deputy commissioner of police in charge of Operations in Anambra State, said every police personnel mobilised for election duty had been deployed and reported at their various posts.
He said the allowances of the concerned personnel were paid via the IPPIS platform and electronically through the banks.
The police chief also said some officers, including the senior ones, had not received their pay but assured that every personnel on duty would get their pay, as the delay was from the banks, the NAN report highlighted.
“The alleged video of police officers protesting for non-payment is not true as has been portrayed in the clip.
“The morale in the force is high. All personnel deployed for this assignment have reported at their duty post.
“The police remain focused and committed to protecting the sanity of the electoral process in Anambra state,” he said.
PREMIUM TIMES reports that the police deployed over 34,000 operatives in Anambra State.
This newspaper reported that despite the relatively huge police deployment for Saturday’s governorship election, many of the polling units in the state were without police presence as of 9:30 a.m.
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Aside from the police, the civil defence (NSCDC), the army, SSS, and other security agencies also deployed thousands of officers to the state.
However, many of the over 5,000 polling units in the state, including those in Aguata Local Government Area, had no police presence Saturday morning.
PREMIUM TIMES visited polling units in Umuona, Ekwulobia, and Isuofia, all of which had the same issues despite a significant turnout of voters.
At PU 002, Ofiyi Square, Isuofia, Aguata LGA, where APGA candidate Chukwuma Soludo is expected to vote, there was no security official at the unit as of 9:30 a.m.
Officials of the electoral commission, INEC, were, however, present.
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