Police Arrest 781 Suspected Electoral Offenders During 2023 Polls

The Nigerian Police Force Headquarters has put the number of people arrested for electoral offences during the 2023 polls at 781.

Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, made this known on Monday, during a meeting with senior police officers, including police commissioners at the force headquarters, Abuja.

The meeting was convened to evaluate the performance of the police during the 2023 electoral process.

The police chief, giving the breakdown of arrested suspected electoral offenders, said 183 infractions were recorded and 23 persons arrested during the February 25 presidential poll.

For the March 18 governorship poll, Baba said 304 persons were arrested, while 578 infractions were recorded.

He commended the senior police officers and their men for their resilience, sacrifices and professionalism during the electoral security duties.

Baba said the suspects would be prosecuted expeditiously and transparently.

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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.

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.