2019: IGP Reads Riot Act To Politicians

By Niyi Olutunde, Akure

Ahead of the 2019 general elections, Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, has warned that the police would not tolerate any form of political thuggery, intimidation, and violent conducts by politicians or their supporters.

Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim K. Idris, mni

Speaking in Akure at a stakeholders meeting organised by Ondo state police command, the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Mr Agboola Glover Oshodi said that the IGP has directed Commissioners of Police in the Commands and Zonal Assistant Inspectors General of Police throughout the country, to provide a robust adequate security before, during and after the election across the state.

“The IGP has directed the implementation of a robust and elaborate security arrangement and measures to ensure adequate security and safety for the electioneering campaigns and rallies throughout the country”.

The DIG also said that the police was ready to arrest and immediately prosecute any party member or supporters in possession of firearms or dangerous weapons during political campaigns and rallies in their respective states.

Oshodi at the stakeholders meeting charged politicians to be law abiding with the INEC guidelines and not to embark on any form of acts that would disrupt the peace of the general public.

The Police, he said, would not condone hate speeches, indecent and criminal defamatory conducts from any individual(s) or group(s) that could also cause threat to public peace and safety anywhere in the country during the campaigns and beyond.

He also urged parents, guardians and traditional/religious leaders, public office Holders to monitor their children, wards, subjects and adherent to be law abiding and resist to be used to cause disturbance of public peace and violation of law and order during the period of the campaigns.

Speaking in the same vein, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, (REC) in Ondo state, Dr. Rufus Akeju urged the political parties to conduct themselves within the electoral act and not to embark on any form of acts that would disrupt the peace of the general public saying that the elections should not be do or die affairs.

Akeju also warned the youths not to allow themselves to be used as political thugs, saying the commission is fully ready to conduct peaceful and transparent elections.