2019: IG warns politicians against arming thugs, hate speech

The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has warned politicians in the country to desist from arming thugs as Nigeria prepares for the 2019 general elections.

Idris, while speaking yesterday in Lagos at a one-day retreat on electoral logistics in preparation for the 2019 general elections organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission, urged politicians not to see election as a do or die affair.

He also cautioned against hate speeches, describing it as the ember of violence that should be eliminated from the country’s political space in order to ensure violence-free polls next year.

Idris noted that hate speech and animosity have been identified as some of the major causes of electoral violence in Nigeria.

The Police chief also called on politicians to avoid conducts likely to cause violence at polling units, such as canvassing for votes, wearing of party insignias, dissuading voters from voting for candidates of their choice, loitering, blaring of siren among others on the day of election.

He assured Nigerians that the police have come up with a robust strategy to provide adequate security for electoral personnel and materials towards the successful conduct of the 2019 general elections.

According to the IGP, part of the strategies would be the provision of armed policemen to accompany INEC officials conveying both sensitive and none sensitive electoral material to storage facilities prior to election and ensuring that such facilities are properly guarded.

He said at least four policemen/security personnel would be posted to each polling unit across the country to checkmate the activities of political thugs, especially ballot snatching and attacks on polling officers.

He pointed out that the various arms of the force, including anti-bomb/explosive units would be deployed at collation centres to forestall any eventuality.

He said Police helicopters would also be deployed for air surveillance during and after the elections as well as vehicular patrol/ interventions units at ward, local government and state headquarters to enforce restriction of movement and ward off any act capable of disrupting the election.

INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, thanked the IGP and other dignitaries at the event for finding time to attend the retreat in spite of their tight schedule and expressed satisfaction with the arrangement so far put in place by the Police to make the 2019 general election a success.

He appealed to Nigerians to support INEC in order to succeed in its mandate of conducting credible, free and fair election that would be acceptable to all in 2019.

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