The
Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba, on Thursday warned
voters to go back to their homes after casting their votes on election days.
Abba, who addressed accredited
observers for the general elections in Abuja, said the possibility
of committing electoral offense was very high if voters stayed back
at the polling booths for votes to be counted.
He said that each polling unit would
have at least two or three policemen to protect the votes cast by
the electorate.
The IG said, ‘‘Two to three police
officers will be attached to each polling unit, and we would provide more
officers for the collation centers and for the managers of the elections.
“We will go on to protect the
electorate. Every eligible voter should feel safe enough to cast his votes. We
will be there to protect the votes and make sure no one disrupts the process.
“Cast your votes and go and cool
down. If you remain there, there is a likelihood that you will commit an offense.’’
The police chief advised
political parties and their candidates to abide by “one agent to a polling
unit,” which the electoral act stipulates.
“Asking voters to wait and protect
their votes implies taking the law into their own hands. It is unacceptable,”
he said.
Abba said the police were aware of
threats by some politicians to declare parallel election results and warned
that his men would deal with such act within the ambit of the law.
He added, “We have heard some people
are threatening to declare election results; we hope it is not true. If you
don’t accept the declared result by INEC (Independent National Electoral
Commission), the best way is to proceed to the tribunal.
In advanced democracies, people don’t
take the law into their own hands but resort to tribunals.
“The refusal to accept the result and
resort to extra-judicial activities is a threat to the electoral process. But
where they don’t heed the appeal, the police will act within the law to protect
the electoral process.”
The IG said that the
police would be loyal to the country, the constitution and all
democratic activities before, during and after the elections in
which 56,000 Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps officials and 129,000
non-regular personnel would be part of the security arrangements.
While disclosing that the police have
“arrested thousands of thugs” and “recovered hundreds of firearms” he condemned
the recruitment of miscreants by politicians to achieve their goals.
Abba noted that lateness in
commencement of voting, delay in the provision of electoral materials, rigging
and manipulation of results were serious threats to electoral process.
He advised INEC to fasten
the process of accreditation of voters on election days.
The IG also said in a statement on
Thursday that he had ordered tight security around all key and
vulnerable points, including the headquarters and offices of INEC and media
houses.
Also to witness improved security
are Internally Displaced Persons camps, service
provider installations, banks, hospitals, National
Youth Service Corps lodges, hotels and government offices.
The measure, according to him,
is to ward off possible attempt by hoodlums to attack such places .
Abba urged the public to remain
steadfast in collaborating with policemen to stamp out crimes, “as the police
have perfected strategies to prepare a safe and secure ground to guarantee
hitch-free March 28 and April 11, 2015 elections.”
Efforts to speak with the APC spokesman,
Lai Mohammed, did not yield result as calls to his telephone rang out.
He also did not respond to a text
message sent to him.
Meanwhile, Abba has called for
improved synergy between the police and para-military agencies under the
Ministry of Interior for enhanced security during and after the polls.
The IG made the call when he visited
the Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, to strategize on better ways of
guaranteeing security during the elections.
He commended the efforts of security
agencies in assisting the police in protecting lives and property, saying a lot
has been done to ensure that security officers deployed for the polls adhered
to best practices.
The minister also expressed
satisfaction with the synergy between the paramilitary
agencies and the police.
He noted that the rivalry that had
earlier existed between the men of the NPF and other security agencies had been
curbed.
“I am pleased to note that the
networking between the police and the para-military services during your tenure
is commendable,” Moro said.
The minister announced that 56,000
NSCDC personnel and 129,000 non-regular personnel of the Nigerian Security and
Civil Defense Corps, would be mobilized for the elections.
He also appealed to the IG to beef up
security in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State where Fulani herdsmen
killed over 80 people last Sunday.
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