Over 700 offenders have been arrested by men of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), for violation of electoral laws during the 2023 general elections.
This was disclosed by the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba on Monday during a meeting with Commissioners of Police from the 36 states of the federation and the FCT, as well as other senior officers.
According to the IGP, the exact figure of those arrested currently stands at 781.
“He equally assured of effective collaboration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to expeditiously and transparently prosecute the 781 electoral offenders apprehended from a total of 489 major electoral infractions across the nation, as all Commands were tasked with submitting casefiles centrally at the Electoral Offences Desk, Office of the IGP, Force Headquarters, Abuja, for coordinated processing to INEC Legal Section,” the force PPRO Olumuyiwa Adejobi stated this in a statement released on Monday.
The IGP commended the Senior Police Officers and Commanders and other ranks for their resilience, sacrifices, and professionalism which ensured the containment of the pockets of election security breaches across the country during the electioneering process and enhanced the overall credibility of the elections in line with the police reform initiatives of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The IGP said the meeting with the Commissioners and other leaders within the force has become critical in the face of the threats to national security by some political actors who he says are trying to undermine the peace of the country after the elections.
He condemned the action of the political actors who are engaged in ethnic profiling in advancing their interests and urged Nigerians to rather strive towards unity.
The Inspector-General of Police, therefore, charged the Strategic Police Managers to readjust strategies and operations towards ensuring a stable post-election security order and refocus policing attention on routine law enforcement duties.
He similarly, and firmly, admonished all political actors and their supporters to submit to democratic norms, peaceful means, and legal procedures in advancing their interests as the Police and other security agencies shall not tolerate the resort to incitement or any act designed to threaten our national security.