Kogi elections: The police will not hesitate to deal with “electoral deviants”- IGP Adamu
Ahead of Saturday’s offseason governorship election in Kogi and Bayelsa states, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, has assured the electorates in both states, Nigerians at large and members of the international community of the commitment of the Nigeria Police to the conduct of successful elections.
Addressing the media Thursday at the Kogi State Police Command headquarters in Lokoja, the IGP who was represented by the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations, Abdulmalik Ali, assured of unwavering commitment to engaging international best practices in the discharge of its election security mandate.
He warned that in securing law-abiding citizens during elections, the police will not hesitate to deploy its might to deal firmly and decisively with “electoral deviants.”
Calling on the political actors and Nigerian in general to lend support to the police and other law enforcement agencies in sustaining the gains recorded in the nation’s democratic march, he warned that the police cannot be held to ransom by those bent on disrupting the process, in the discharge of its mandate during the exercise.
“We must sound a note of that as a nation, we have had enough of electoral violence. Hence, while the Nigeria Police shall strive to guarantee a peaceful and secure space for all political parties and the citizens to freely exercise their electoral rights, we shall not hesitate to identify, isolate and bring to deserved justice to any person or group of persons that attempt to threaten the democratic process,” he warned.
He explained that the press conference was being addressed as part of initiatives of the Nigeria Police to brief members of the public on plans that have been put in place to ensure a peaceful electoral process and a credible outcome of the elections and to interface with the press, towards feeling the pulse of the citizens, addressing their concerns and drawing on inputs in the attainment of our election security mandate.”
