Edo 2024: EDOCSO wants Police to lift ban on Edo Security Network
By Ozioruva Aliu, BENIN CITY
THE Edo State Civil Society Organizations, EDOCSO, has urged the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Kayode Agbetokun, to consider lifting the suspension placed on the Edo State Security Network, ESSN, now that the governorship election is over.
The ESSN and other vigilante groups were suspended by the IGP in the build-up to the Edo State governorship election.
The group, through its Coordinator General, Comrade Omobude Agho said in Benin City that the presence of the network has helped reduce crime and criminality since its creation in the state.
While congratulating the winners of the election; Monday Okpebholo and Dennis Idahosa, he appealed to the Inspector General of Police to “as a matter of urgent security importance to reinstate a date for the resumption of our suspended local vigilante known as ESSN whose suspension was due to the election which is now concluded”,
Agho commended the peaceful conduct of the election but faulted the major political parties for engaging in vote buying which he has undermined the electoral process.
“The polls were opened without violence as voters took their turns to vote.
“However, in several units, vote buying and selling became a common sight, and security personnel didn’t act to enforce the law against such an act.
“Votes were freely sold and bought by the two major political parties between the sum of N10,000 and N20,000 or even far less depending on the location or environment.
“All these were carried out in a very agreeable and peaceful atmosphere. In some cases, some voters returned home without casting their votes when they couldn’t get a satisfactory bargain from the buying of the votes.
“It should be noted that, at the close of polls in some voting centres like Garrick Memorial School on Ekehuan road in Oredo and Western Boys High School in Ikpoba Okha, security agencies forcefully moved INEC officials and materials to INEC headquarters for collation which is against the usual process, whereas in the proper order, collated results are moved from units to local government collation centre from where it will be moved to INEC headquarters for final collation and announcement.
“While these collation abnormalities were going on, over 70% of results from polling units have already been received and registered in the INEC IREV portal by officials of INEC.
“It was also shocking to observe that party agents and accredited observers were barred from entering the INEC headquarters to monitor the materials that were brought in by the heavily armed soldiers and other security agencies who had barricaded the entire area, which event raised protests around INEC headquarters.
“This action of the security agencies and INEC gives room for suspicion, compromise and partisanship that makes the election not pass the integrity test and leaves a taste in posterity.
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