The Federal Government has approved the purchase of 2,564 vehicles for police to enhance security operations during the forthcoming general elections in the country.
Vice President Namadi Sambo, disclosed this during the Commissioning of the First Batch of newly acquired Patrol Vehicles for the police at the Eagle Square, Abuja on Sunday.
Sambo, who represented President Goodluck Jonathan, said the procurement of the vehicles was aimed at boosting the capacity of the Nigerian Police Force to ensure peaceful election next month.
The Vice President said “A well equipped and adequately motivated police force will
assist in no small measure in ensuring the security needed in the drive for economic growth and development of Nigeria.
assist in no small measure in ensuring the security needed in the drive for economic growth and development of Nigeria.
“This is in view of the strong commitment of government to provide for the NPF within available resources, and it is my hope that the gesture by government will be reciprocated by assisting INEC in ensuring they conduct free and fair elections this month.
“It is also expected that the deployment of these operational vehicles will translate to enhanced surveillance of our communities in order to improve security.”
Sambo appealed to Nigerians to work for the unity of the country, despite their political leanings.
He said, “I call on the politicians, the aspirants, their supporters and their sympathisers, to eschew all forms of violence and unlawful practices, both in words and conduct, before and after elections, let us eschew any form of violence, we should condemn any form of violence before, during and after elections. We should know that elections will come and go but Nigeria will remain as one nation and one people,” he said.
The inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba, said approval for 2,564 operational vehicles was given by the President, but the first batch of the patrol cars comprising 170 Nissan NP300 hard body patrol pick-up vans, 129 Nissan Frontier Double Cabin Patrol Vehicles, 50 Nissan Patrol 4WD Jeeps, 10 Toyota double cabin Armoured Patrol Vans and four Ford 550 model 4X4 state of the art Armoured Personnel Carriers were ready for commissioning.
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