2023 Elections: Nigeria police apprehend 781 suspected electoral offenders

The Nigeria Police Force arrested a total of 781 alleged electoral offenders across the country during the just concluded elections.

Nigeria held presidential and national assembly elections on 25 February while gubernatorial and state assembly elections were held on 18 March this year.

The Inspector General of Police, Alkali Usman, made the disclosure Monday afternoon during a meeting with Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs), Commissioners of Police (CPs) and other Tactical Commanders in Abuja.

The meeting, according to the force spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, was to evaluate police performances during the elections.

Mr Adejobi said Mr Usman has directed state commands to submit case files of the electoral offenders to the force Electoral Offences Desk at the police headquarters.

Mr Adejobi said 145 infractions were reported during the presidential and national assembly election leading to the arrest of  203 suspects. He said the police arrested 578 offenders during the gubernatorial and state assembly elections from 304 infractions.

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He said the suspects would be prosecuted expeditiously and transparently.

“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,” he said.

While commending the senior police officers, Mr Alkali called on them to rejig their strategies towards ensuring a stable post-election nation.

“The IGP seized the opportunity to commend 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 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,” Mr Adejobi said in the statement.