IGP constitutes violence evaluation team for 2023 elections

As part of efforts to ensure credible elections devoid of violence, the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, on Wednesday approved the constitution of an election planning, monitoring and evaluation team for deployment across the states in the country.

The team was charged with the responsibility of identifying, analysing, and mitigating threats, as well as carry out on-the-spot appraisal of the security emplacements, ahead of the February 25 and March 11 general elections.

The police authorities, in a statement issued by the spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the development was in furtherance of the IGP’s drive for safe, secured, and credible general elections, as well as to ensure adequate security coverage before, during, and after the general elections.

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Adejobi noted the IG had similarly appointed the vice President of INTERPOL and Head, National Crime Bureau, AIG Garba Umar, as the national coordinator of the team, with members including the Force Secretary, AIG Habu Sani, the CP Election Monitoring Officer, Basil Idegwu, and the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi.

The team was also composed of other Commissioners of Police, 15 Deputy CPs, 30 Assistant CPs, 30 Chief Superintendents of Police, and 16 strategic officers of other ranks.

The statement read: “The IG, while reiterating the commitment of the police to ensuring that the elections are safe, secure, credible, and in line with global best practices, tasked the team to, among other things, ensure the propriety of deployments, give real-time coverage of the electoral process, and safeguard against hostile external and internal influence using INTERPOL, anti-cybercrime, and intelligence tools and assets of the NPF.

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“In the same vein, Baba reaffirmed the establishment and viability of the Electoral Offences Desks domiciled at the State Criminal Investigation Departments of all commands across the nation headed by the Assistant Commissioners of Police in charge of the SCID.

“The Inspector-General of Police, therefore, calls on well-meaning Nigerians, international communities, and all stakeholders to support the NPF teams in all areas, particularly on intelligence sharing and regular engagements, to achieve success in the 2023 General.