The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) recorded 489 major electoral infractions during this year’s general election, comprising the presidential, National Assembly, governorship and states’ House of Assembly held on February 25 and March 18.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Usman Alkali Baba announced this yesterday at a meeting with top police officers.
Baba said,
“Across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), a the total of 489 major electoral infractions leading to the arrest of a total of 781 offenders were recorded during the presidential, National Assembly, the governorship and states’ Houses of Assembly elections, while not less than 66 firearms of various descriptions were recovered from electoral adversaries.
“A summary indicates that a total of 185 major electoral offences were reported during the presidential and National Assembly elections with 203 arrests made and 18 firearms recovered.
“Similarly, a total of 304 electoral offences were recorded during the governorship and states’ House of Assembly election with a total number of 578 arrests and recovery of 48 firearms.”
The IGP said the culprits would be prosecuted, adding,
“I can assure you that we will effectively collaborate with Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) leadership in ensuring that all these electoral offenders are expeditiously and transparently prosecuted not only in the interest of criminal justice delivery but in furtherance to our vision of sanitizing our democratic space.”
Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO) Olumuyiwa Adejobi, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), also said the IGP’s meeting with the senior police officers was aimed at evaluating police performance during this year’s general election.
The police boss said it was also meant to highlight the lessons and the strengths of policing the polls and dissect complex dynamics for subsequent optimal performance.
He hailed the senior police officers, the commanders and other ranks for their resilience, sacrifices and professionalism, which he said ensured the containment of the pockets of election security breaches across the country during the electioneering process.
Baba also urged all police commands to submit case files centrally at the Electoral Offences Desk in the Office of the IGP at the Force headquarters in Abuja for coordinated processing to INEC legal section.
The IGP also charged the strategic police managers to readjust strategies and operations towards ensuring a stable post-election security order and refocus policing attention on routine law enforcement duties.
