By Joseph Edeh
#TrackNigeria: The Nigeria Police Force has warned politicians and the electorate against violence during the upcoming general elections in the country.
The Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Mr Mohammed Adamu, gave the warning at a meeting with Squadron leaders of Police Mobile Force (PMF) on Wednesday in Abuja.
“As we firm up our operational plans, I once again call on political actors and the electorate to place national security interest above their personal interests,’’ he said.
He urged them to be guided by the overriding obligation to situate all their actions within extant rules.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that a similar meeting was held on Tuesday with Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) in charge of operations at zonal and state commands.
Adamu said the meeting was to enable the force leadership to interact with squadron commanders of the 68 PMF toward clearly defining their roles during the elections.
He added that the meeting would also specify the standard operating procedure that would regulate their operations during the exercise.
“The meeting will also engage them on efforts by the force leadership to address challenges and other operational gaps that could be of concern to them during the elections,’’ he said.
The I-G said that personnel of the unit could also be deployed to support the military in national security operations as they were presently doing in the North East.
“In line with its mandate and in relation to the election security plans, the PMF will be deployed to provide robust protection for local and international election observers.
“They shall also be engaged in supporting the other arms of the force in undertaking intelligence-led operations in areas identified as high risk in the threat analysis report,’’ he said.
He assured that personnel of the force had received professional trainings to ensure that they undertake their duties in a professional manner.
“The police under my watch are firmly committed to ensuring a robust election security management that will guarantee a conducive environment for citizens to freely exercise their electoral franchise,’’ he said.
He said the force was prepared to deploy its potent assets to deal decisively with any individual or group that might attempt to threaten internal security interests. (NAN)