‘Police poised to ensure credible, violent-free polls’

As the elections draw closer, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has expressed readiness towards ensuring credible, fair and violent-free polls in the country.

“The police are ready to play their roles in a way that the law expects them to do, so we are sure that everything would go on as expected.”

Assistant Inspector General of Police Usman Mani gave the assurance in Sokoto at a capacity building training programme on ‘Democratic Policing and Elections Security Management’ for officers and men of the NPF.

Mani, who was represented by Deputy Commissioner of Police Godwin Aghaulor, said the authority of the Nigerian police found it necessary to train and retrain their officers for the onerous assignment ahead of them during the general elections.

“So the IGP has deemed it necessary to train them on democratic policing so as to conduct a free and fair and violent free election for Nigerians, that is the primary purpose of this programme,” he stated.

He said: “We are prepared, as the challenges come, the needful would be done; we are assuring Nigerians that the election would be violent-free and everybody will accept the result.”

Also speaking, the Chairman/CEO Hi-Tech Security Services and Training Ltd, Barrister Lawrence Alobi, who is anchoring the programme in collaboration with the police, said the acting IGP realised the crucial role the Police have to play in election hence the capacity building initiative so that officers and men perform credibly well during the polls.

Alobi, who is a retired Commissioner of Police, underscored the need for policing in conformity with democratic rules and values, human right, rule of law, accountability transparency and professionalism.

He noted that police officers and men need to be well informed about electoral laws to ensure that the other stakeholders work along with them in a collaborative manner.

According to him, 180 police officers and men are expected to participate in the programme in Sokoto.