The Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of North-west zone, Hafiz Muhammad Inuwa, has read the Riot Act to perpetrators of political violence in Nigeria, emphasizing that the law enforcement agency is ready to deal with anybody that plans to foment trouble during and after the upcoming Saturday gubernatorial and State Assembly election.
Inuwa, while speaking to newsmen in Kano state during an election stakeholders’ meeting, reiterated that the Nigerian Police remain apolitical and, therefore, will not take sides with any party, expressing readiness to deal with anybody or group(s) who disobey the law.
“We belong to everybody and we belong to nobody. If you disobey the rule, we would certainly deal with you.
“Whoever tries to test our collective responsibilities or foment trouble, we are ready to deal with him/her ruthlessly, especially here in Kano,” he warned.
According to him, the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Usman Alkali have spoken in clear terms against any form of political violence in the country.
He said the essence of the stakeholders’ meeting was to repeat the President and IGP’s messages on peace during and after the election and how the same can be cascaded down to the people including officers and men of the Kano Command so that people will not be disenfranchised.
“My coming this time around is to equally talk to our officers. We must be firm, focused and professional to discharge our duties, while remaining apolitical,” said Hafiz.
On series of postings of various senior police officers to Kano state and immediate redeployment of some in recent weeks, Hafiz said it is a routine excercise, not only peculiar to the state but across the country, stressing that it is a strategy to ensure that law and order is maintained during the election.
“We want to surprise everybody so that they will not determine which way the Nigerian Police would go all in an effort to ensure peace and tranquility and to engender the conduct of a successful, free, fair and credible election.
“The Nigerian Police has trained and retrained its men and officers to keep them abreast of how to handle election matters, especially in the areas of electoral laws.
“Officers have been trained and retrained all along and the IGP has spent a huge sum of money on this exercise in an effort to ensure that peace reigns in the country,” he said.
He commended the media for telling Nigerians and the whole world the efforts of security operatives during the presidential and National Assembly election.
The event was attended by political parties’ representatives, among others.
