The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, PhD, NPM, has deployed CP Abayomi Shogunle, PhD, fsi, as the new Commissioner of Police in charge of Anambra State Command ahead of the November 8, 2025, governorship election.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday, November 4, by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ikenga Tochukwu, the deployment aligns with the IGP’s operational strategy to strengthen security coordination and ensure a peaceful, credible, and transparent electoral process in the state.
Upon assuming duty, CP Shogunle immediately activated the IGP’s Enforcement Protocol on anti-electoral offences, emphasizing a zero-tolerance policy toward ballot snatching, vote buying, political thuggery, and voter intimidation. He also enhanced the functionality of the Electoral Offences Desk, particularly in monitoring social media and digital spaces for cyber-related election crimes to ensure prompt investigation and prosecution.
In a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the new police commissioner has also established a central command framework to enable real-time intelligence sharing, effective coordination, and rapid response during the election. Over 60,000 security personnel drawn from agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) will be jointly deployed across the state’s 5,720 polling units, with tactical reserves positioned along inter-local government and state boundaries as well as designated collation centers.
Reiterating the Force’s strict enforcement measures, CP Shogunle announced a total ban on the activities of vigilante and quasi-security groups such as Agunechemba during the election period. He stressed that only federal security agencies are legally authorized to provide election security duties in accordance with national law.
In addition, the police warned that VIPs or political figures moving around polling or collation centres with armed escorts or aides will face immediate arrest, withdrawal of escorts, and possible prosecution. Only officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), accredited observers, and journalists are permitted to move between designated areas on election day.
CP Shogunle urged political actors, community leaders, and residents of Anambra State to cooperate with the police and other security agencies to maintain peace before, during, and after the polls.
For security-related reports or emergencies, the Commissioner of Police can be reached on 0809 600 0079.
About The Author
