The Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Kpotun-Idris has warned politicians in the country to desist from giving arms to political thugs as Nigeria prepares for the 2019 general elections.
Idris, while speaking on Thursday in Lagos at a one-day retreat on Electoral Logistics in preparation for the 2019 general elections organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) urged politicians not to see election as a “do or die” affair.
He also cautioned against hate speeches describing it as the ember for violence that should be eliminated from the country’s political space in order to ensure a 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 assure Nigerians that the police has 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 strategy 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 were properly guarded.
Courtesy: Politics Nigeria
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