Usman Alkali Baba, the Inspector General of Police, has directed all commissioners of police in charge of state police commands to immediately activate the inter-agency consultative committee on election security (ICCES) in order to involve all stakeholders in developing strategies for mitigating threats to the 2023 general election process within their various areas of responsibility.
This information was included in a news release given the media on November 27, 2022, by CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the force’s public relations officer.
The IGP notes that political violence, hate speech, threats, political intolerance, misinformation, and political extremism are all potential threats to our democracy and interests in national security. As a result, the IGP has urged all State Police Commissioners to collaborate with other members of the ICCES in order to reduce the occurrence and threats of violence to a minimum and to swiftly prosecute those who violate existing electoral laws. The IGP has mandated all Commissioners of Police in charge of State Commands to ensure adequate and strategic deployment of officers and assets, as well as coordinate, deploy, and supervise officers from other security agencies scheduled for election duty, in accordance with ICCES directives, to fortify all INEC facilities within their respective areas of responsibility even as electoral materials are being relocated to statewide locations.
Similar to this, the IGP has ordered a fresh distribution of technology, anti-riot gear, and personal protective equipment (PPE) for police officers across the federation in preparation for the 2023 General Election security management job. For crowd control and to reduce the risk of casualties in potential confrontations with subversive elements, the goods include non-lethal weapons like electro-shocks, rubber bullets, water cannons, tear gas, riot guns, etc. The Inspector-General of Police called on the public and other security agencies that make up ICCES to actively support the Nigeria Police Force in its mission to ensure the safety and security of everyone before, during, and after the 2023 General Elections. He also reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to protecting our democratic heritage and national security interests.
