Top police management personnel across the country have assured they would partner with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as well as other security stakeholders, to ensure peaceful, free, fair, transparent and credible elections in 2023.
The assurance was given at the end of the three-day Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers, tagged: ‘The Imperative of Nigeria Police Strategic Plan for Peaceful Elections,’ held in Owerri, Imo State, and organised by Matchmakers International, a foremost security consultancy company.
A total of 162 senior police officers, comprising officers from the rank of commissioner of police and above, drawn from the Force Headquarters, police formations, training institutions, zonal commands and state commands across the 36 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), attended the event.
The attendees included the Inspector General of Police (IGP), six Deputy Inspectors General of Police, 34 Assistant Inspectors General of Police and 121 Commissioners of Police.
The retreat was organised to critically and professionally review the pattern and trend of crimes.
It was meant to undertake detailed security risk assessment with a view to identifying specific trends that could threaten security and peaceful conduct of the general elections. It was also meant to generate ideas, as well as share experiences towards developing election security strategy and action plans. More so, it was meant to stabilise security, as well as the political landscape to strengthen citizens’ confidence in the electoral process.
At the end of the event, participating police officers agreed that “politicians and political parties have roles to play in institutionalisation of democratic culture and governance. They appealed to them to reorder their conduct and activities to enhance free, fair, transparent and credible elections.
The officers further noted that politicians should avoid engaging thugs and non-state actors during elections.
The police officers, therefore, said that the Chairman of INEC needs to work with the IGP to ensure that democratic governance is maintained and delivered to Nigerians.