Usman Baba, inspector-general of police (IGP), says
intelligence officers will be deployed during the 2023 general election to
apprehend politicians who buy votes.
Baba, who was represented by Bala Ciroma, assistant
inspector-general of police, spoke on Monday at a stakeholders summit on
addressing the influence of money on the 2023 general election.
The summit was organised by the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC).
The IGP said apart from electoral violence, thuggery, and snatching of ballot boxes, one major issue affecting the credibility of elections in Nigeria is the use of money to influence the election outcome.
He, however, said there would be joint security operations
to address the situation.
“We will achieve this in synergy with sister security
agencies, anti-graft and intelligence agencies, and other stakeholders,” he
said.
“The result of this synergy has started yielding positive
results as a lot of arrests have been made, especially of persons buying voter
registration cards as prelude to rigging the elections.
“Some political thugs
have also been arrested and are being prosecuted in courts of competent
jurisdiction. We will also ensure that the police x-squad, intelligence
officers, and investigators are moved to the field to ensure that politicians
moving on election days with tonnes of physical cash for vote buying are
apprehended and dealt with according to the provisions of the law.
“We have also deployed intelligence officers who will get
embedded in the crowd during political rallies to identify with precision,
persons encouraging or perpetrating violence.
“Let me state again emphatically that the use of money
during the 2023 elections is unacceptable and we will do all we can within the
confines of the law to bring offending persons to book.
“Therefore, all hands are on deck and all the relevant
security agencies are in synergy on this. We intend to provide a conducive
atmosphere for the conduct of 2023 elections.”
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