Inspector General of Police (IGP) Usman Baba Alkali has states that the security organization is currently training 10,000 officers across various training centres in the country in preparation for the 2023 general elections.
Alkali added that the trainees would graduate this month and would be posted to different locations to further security architecture for the 2023 election duties.
The Police chief made this revelation in Ilorin, at a public lecture organised by the Alh-Hikmah University.
The lecture is entitled: “Engendering security and public safety among stakeholders towards peaceful 2023 general elections in Nigeria.”
Represented by Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Zone 8, Asafa Adekunle, Alkali advised all parties and their loyalists to shun social unrest in order to foster free, fair, transparent and credible elections come 2023.
He said: “Police are engaging stakeholders in a series of meetings, seminars for them to know the importance of conducting the 2023 general elections in a peaceful atmosphere.
“On no account should personnel deployed to the inner ring of the venue of the political events or voting centre/polling booths by assigned lethal weapon, except baton: involvement of the police at political gatherings shall be limited to the maintenance of peace and order and enforcement of extant laws.
“Officers shall at all times exercise maximum restrain while covering political gatherings.
“Stakeholders should encourage Nigerian youths to always explore dialogue and negotiations as strategies to achieve their goals rather than violence and destruction.
“All security personnel participating in the election should have the knowledge of election procedures at the venues.
“To ensure the public safety and peaceful conduct of 2023 general elections in Nigeria all stakeholders like the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), police force, political parties, civil society organisations, voters and the media need to play collaborative role in preventing and reducing elections violence.”
