The Nigeria Police Force has warned troublemakers to stay clear of Saturday’s House of Assembly election in Ondo or face a dare consequence.

Oyediran Oyeyemi, the Commissioner of Police in the State, gave the stern warning on Thursday, in Akure, the Ondo capital city, ahead of the state parliamentary election exercise.

Mr Oyeyemi, who disclosed that the police in collaboration with other sister security agencies in the state are prepared for the election exercise, said the force would not allow any ‘miscreant’ to hijack the electoral process.

He specifically asked parents to caution their children, and prevent them from being used as an instrument of harassment or disruption of the poll.

“We are also appealing to parents and guardians to warn their children/ wards not to allow themselves to be used as an instrument of harassment and disruption of election as the police will not fold their hands and allow any miscreant to hijack the electoral process”, Mr Oyediran maintained in the statement issued by the command’s spokesperson, Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya.

17 political parties would participate in the House of Assembly election exercise expected to hold in over 3,933 polling units and 204 wards in the state.

Ondo is also part of the states where no governorship election would be taking place in the weekend exercise expected to hold across the nation.

Despite this, Mr Oyeyemi said that the police would ensure adequate security of the lives and properties of the residents before, during, and after the Saturday exercise.

According to him, the police authority has already met with all relevant stakeholders in the electoral process in the state on the need to maintain peace in the last phase of the poll.

He added that the command has also deployed personnel to escort all sensitive and non-sensitive materials distributed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to all the 18 Local Government Areas of the state.

The personnel, Mr Oyeyemi said, included men from the Tactical Team, Special Protection Unit, and Police Mobile Force among others.

“We are also using this medium to inform the people of the state that we have not reneged on the promises of adequate security before, during, and after the election as portrayed in the first phase of the general election i.e protection of lives and property at polling units and Collation centres for the 2nd Phase of the election.

“So, the command is fully prepared for the 2nd phase of the general election as Men (Tactical Teams, PMF, SPU, EOD, Special Force, etc.) and materials needed to ensure the success of the polls have been deployed ahead of D-day,” he added in the statement.

Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Wednesday, distributed both sensitive and non-sensitive materials to the 18 LGAs of the state ahead of the election.