Kayode Egbetokun, inspector-general of police (IGP), has ordered the restriction of vehicular movement in Edo state during the governorship election.

In a statement on Friday, Muyiwa Adejobi, force spokesperson, said the restriction will begin from 6am to 6pm on Saturday.

Adejobi said individuals on essential services like officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), accredited media personnel, and emergency responders are exempted from the restriction.

The force spokesperson reaffirmed the ban on all security aides and escorts accompanying VIPs to polling units and collation centers.

Adejobi said unauthorised security personnel and quasi-security outfits are prohibited from operating during the election.

“In preparation for the election, the IGP has ordered the restriction of all vehicular movement on roads, waterways, and other forms of transportation from 6am to 6pm on election Day. Exceptions will be made for essential services, including accredited media, electoral officials, ambulances, and emergency responders,” the statement reads.

“To maintain the integrity of the electoral process, the IGP has implemented a ban on all security aides and escorts accompanying VIPs to polling booths and collation centres.

“Unauthorized security personnel and quasi-security outfits are prohibited from operating during the election, and the use of sirens by unauthorized vehicles is strictly forbidden to ensure a calm environment for voters.

“Furthermore, the IGP has mandated that special attention be afforded to individuals with disabilities, pregnant women, nursing mothers, the elderly, and those with mobility challenges, ensuring that polling stations in both urban and rural settings are accessible to all.

“The inspector-general of police, through the deputy inspector-general (DIG) for Edo gubernatorial election, DIG Frank Emeka Mba, mni, has appealed to citizens to refrain from making prank calls to control room and designated help numbers, highlighting that text messages are more effective for operational purposes.

“The designated election lines for inquiries and reporting are: DIG Frank Mba, mni; 07025000383 and AIG Benneth Igwe, mni; 09085000029, while the general control room numbers are 08077773721 and 08037646272. The already-activated joint control room is manned by police and relevant agencies engaged in the electoral process.”

On Saturday, voters in Edo will determine who succeeds Godwin Obaseki, governor of the state, for the next four years from the 17 political parties participating in the election.

The All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Labour Party (LP) are the leading political parties in the election.

Mojisola Adeyeye, director-general of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has directed the closure of the Gomboru drug market in Maiduguri, Borno state.

In a social media post on Thursday, NAFDAC said it was discovered that drugs affected by the flood were being washed and sun-dried for sale at the market.

“After the recent flooding in Maiduguri that submerged the Gomboru drug market where contaminated drugs were washed and sun-dried for resale, the NAFDAC DG ordered the immediate closure of the market to conduct a thorough shop-to-shop removal of these compromised drugs,” the post reads.

On September 10, many residents fled their homes following a flood incident which affected parts of Fori, Galtimari, Gwange, and Bulabulin in Maiduguri.

The flood occurred due to the collapse of the Alau Dam which has been at full capacity for weeks.

In a separate post, NAFDAC said it had shut down an illegal factory producing counterfeit cosmetic products at Benue Plaza, Trade Fair Complex in Lagos state.

“NAFDAC officers raided the location discovering various unregistered chemicals and packaging materials, along with expired products that were being revalidated for sale,” the post reads.

The operation also led to the seizure of over 1,200 cartons of fake cosmetic products.

Items including mini-mixing containers, unlabelled chemicals, batch coding materials, and thinners, were confiscated and take to the NAFDAC office for further investigation.

The agency estimated the street value of the confiscated items to about ₦50 million.

It urged the public to be cautious when purchasing cosmetic products and report any suspicious activities to the nearest NAFDAC office.

Rwanda has commenced the first African administration of the mpox vaccine, with several hundred high-risk individuals vaccinated.

Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centre for Disease Control (Africa CDC), told journalists on Thursday that the first 300 doses were administered on Tuesday.

He added that the exercise was carried out near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the “high-risk populations” are.

“This outbreak must be stopped very quickly,” Kaseya said.

“We also need this vaccine to start to be manufactured in Africa, and we are working strongly and closely with our manufacturers and also our partners to have these vaccines manufactured from one of the African countries.”

The Rwandan ministry of health also announced the vaccination campaign, saying it is targeted at “health workers, cross-border business operators, hospitality workers, and other high-risk groups”.

The DR Congo has been the epicenter of the outbreak in Africa, with 2,912 new mpox cases and 14 deaths recorded in the last one week.

This has taken the tally of cases to 6,105 and 738 deaths since the beginning of the year.

Tedros Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organisation (WHO), on Thursday, urged more countries to contribute to the response.

“International collaboration and support are needed to stop the spread of the virus,” he wrote on X.

The DR Congo is expected to start its vaccination campaign in the first week of October.