Polls: Police will be impartial – IGP

 

                   The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Suleiman Abba has promised that the police will be impartial in the discharge of their duties during the forthcoming election.

                        This was disclosed in Abuja on Tuesday during a strategic meeting with Assistant Inspector General of Police and Commissioners of Police of various divisions and States.
Abba also warned electorates who would want to disrupt the election process to stay away or face the wrath of the law.
                            He said: “Police will be impartial during the election. We have been impartial and we will continue to be impartial. We will strat
egise to make sure that we are non-partisan and that we exhibit impartiality on the days of elections and days after.
He revealed some of the preparations put in place to perfect their plans for the election.
“We have been lecturing our officers and we have conducted trainings just to make sure that our men understand their roles, we published guidelines for them with regards to their conduct during the election. All these are tailored towards making them non-partisan and impartial,” he said.
The IGP also noted that he would not tolerate any form of electoral misconduct adding that anyone caught will be arrested and prosecuted.
He said: “if you are not going to add any value to the polling unit, stay away. Anyone who tries or who attempts to disrupt the election will be arrested and prosecuted.
“The attempt can be outside the polling unit, around the unit, collation centres, it can even be after the declaration of result, whoever wants to take the laws into his own hands should have a rethink because we will not tolerate their acts.
He added: “It is better you leave if you know you cannot behave yourself well at the polling unit because attempt to intimidate anyone is an offence, soliciting for votes is an offence, and carrying of weapon is also an offence.
“I would advice my enemy to stay away but if you choose to stay around, keep your cool because there are many temptations.
Abba however assured electorates of adequate security. “We will make sure that nobody disrupts the peace of the electoral processes and we will ensure that the place is secured enough for electorates to cast their votes and secured enough to prevent crimes outlined in Section 129 of the electoral law,” he added.