Security agencies in Rivers, Ondo, Kano, and Enugu states have intensified measures to prevent vote-buying, voter intimidation, and other electoral offences ahead of Saturday’s by-elections.

The police commands in the affected states have also announced movement restrictions and deployed personnel to polling units, collation centres, and other strategic locations to ensure peaceful, free, and credible elections.

In Rivers State, the Police Command warned that individuals involved in electoral violence, vote-buying, voter intimidation, thuggery, or any other unlawful activities during the Rivers South-East Senatorial District by-election would face the full consequences of the law.

The command’s spokesperson, Blessing Agabe, quoting the Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, said in a statement on Friday that the restriction of human and vehicular movement across seven local government areas was part of measures to guarantee a peaceful and orderly election.

The restriction covers Andoni, Tai, Khana, Gokana, Eleme, Oyigbo, and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, and will remain in effect from midnight on Friday until 6:00pm on Saturday.

The Rivers South-East Senatorial District by-election is being conducted to fill the vacant seat left following the death of Senator Barry Mpigi.

Similarly, the Kano State Police Command issued warnings against vote-buying, vote-selling, ballot box snatching, voter intimidation, and the spread of fake news ahead of the House of Representatives by-election in Dawakin Kudu and Warawa Local Government Areas.

In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Kiyawa, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Bakori, the command said anyone found committing electoral offences would be arrested and prosecuted in line with the Electoral Act 2022.

“The command will not tolerate vote-buying, vote-selling, ballot box snatching, voter intimidation or the spread of fake news and misinformation. Anyone found engaging in any electoral offence will be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the Electoral Act 2022,” the statement read.

The command added that security personnel had been deployed to polling units, collation centres, INEC offices, and other important locations across the two local government areas.

In Ondo State, the Police Command announced the deployment of security personnel across the six local government areas in the Ondo South Senatorial District.

The command’s spokesperson, Abayomi Jimoh, said the deployment was aimed at protecting polling units, collation centres, electoral offices, and other vulnerable areas.

He added that vehicular movement and transportation through waterways would be restricted during the election period, warning that any action capable of disrupting the process would not be allowed.

The Ondo South Senatorial District by-election was scheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission following the resignation of Senator Jimoh Ibrahim after his appointment as Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United Nations.

Meanwhile, the Enugu State Government announced a restriction of movement across the six local government areas in the Enugu North Senatorial District from 6:00am to 4:00pm on Saturday.

The Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said security agencies had been directed to enforce the directive and maintain peace throughout the electoral process.

The restriction affects all 102 electoral wards in Igbo-Etiti, Igbo Eze North, Igbo Eze South, Nsukka, Udenu, and Uzo-Uwani Local Government Areas.

However, accredited INEC officials, security personnel, election observers, journalists, and other authorised individuals have been exempted from the movement restrictions.

The police authorities urged voters, political parties, candidates, and supporters to conduct themselves peacefully and obey electoral laws, assuring residents that adequate security arrangements had been put in place to support credible and peaceful elections.