Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun has appointed CP Abayomi Shogunle to lead security for the Anambra governorship election.
Over 60,000 operatives will be deployed to ensure a peaceful and credible poll.
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has assigned Commissioner of Police Abayomi Shogunle, PhD, to oversee security operations for the November 8, 2025, governorship election in Anambra State.
The announcement was made in a statement released by the Anambra State Police Command spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga, who confirmed that Shogunle had assumed duty as the Commissioner of Police in charge of the election assignment.
According to the statement, Shogunle has activated the Inspector General’s enforcement measures against electoral offences to prevent ballot snatching, vote buying, thuggery, and voter intimidation. He also introduced a central command structure to ensure effective coordination and intelligence sharing during the election.
Ikenga explained that more than 60,000 security operatives drawn from various agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) will be deployed across Anambra’s 5,720 polling units. Tactical teams will also be positioned at local government and state borders, as well as at designated collation centers, to provide backup support and rapid response where needed.
The Police Command further stated that an Electoral Offences Desk has been reinforced to track social media and other online activities for possible cyber-related election crimes.
Ikenga said Shogunle’s appointment was part of the national policing strategy designed by Egbetokun to strengthen election security and ensure a peaceful, transparent, and credible poll.
He added that all local vigilante outfits, including Agunechemba and similar quasi-security groups, are barred from participating in election security operations. Only federal security agencies are authorized to perform such duties in line with the law.
The police also prohibited the movement of VIPs with armed escorts or security aides around polling and collation centers. Any breach, Ikenga warned, will result in arrest and prosecution. Only accredited INEC officials, observers, and journalists will be allowed unrestricted movement on election day.
