2023: Police Need to up Their Game
ItwasreallyshockingtoheartheInspectorGeneral ofPolice,UsmanBaba,blamingtheincreasinginci- dences of political violence in the country on some state governors. Baba said this during a meeting with the leadership of political parties and other stakeholders on Thursday in Abuja.
RecallthatatarecentmeetingoftheInter-Agency Consultative Committee on Electoral Security (IC- CES), the National Security Adviser (NSA), MajorGeneral Babagana Monguno (rtd), had disclosed that the country witnessed 52 cases of electoral violence in 22 states in one month. Monguno said President Muhammadu Buhari had given all the security agencies the go-ahead to deal decisively withindividualsorgroupstryingtopreventpeaceful conduct of the general election.
ButlastThursday,IGatameetingtoengagepoliti- cal parties’ leadership on the increasing trend of political violence and to present a common front in addressing the issues, blamed most incidents of violence on political extremism, misinforma- tion, intolerance, wrong political orientation, hate speeches,incitementanddesperationofstrategic actors.
According to him, such actors usually give the wrong direction to their party faithful, arm them, reorientthemandencouragethemtoresorttothe useofthreat,violence,andotherextra-legalmeans to frustrate competing political parties.
AlotofNigerianswerealarmedthatsuchacomment could come from the IG who should order the arrest of the culprits and not lament helplessly or appeal to anyone. Doesn’t he know that political violenceinanyformisanoffenceundertheElectoral Act and a crime under extant criminal laws of the country?Doesheneedpermissiontoarrestanybody who contravenes the laws of Nigeria?
Everybody knows that once the police force is fixed to do its job effectively and efficiently, three quartersoftheproblemsinNigeriawouldbesolved.
WhyshouldapoliceIGbeblamingpeopleforcommittingcrimeinsteadofarrestingandprosecuting toserveasadeterrenttoothers?Thefailureofthe policetoaddresscrimeisthereasonwhymostpeople take the laws into their hands.
He should better know that the success of the 2023 general election depends on how effective and efficient the police would be.