The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Usman Baba Alkali on Thursday said the Southwest Security Outfit called Amotekun and other “quasi-security outfits” established by state governments won’t participate in next year’s general elections. The police chief said this in Abuja at a conference for strategic police managers, which includes officers from the ranks of commissioners and above. He stated that such establishments are not legally-backed for the exercise.
“Similarly, the IGP emphasized the fact that all quasi-security outfits established by various state governments and local communities operating under different nomenclatures, structures, and orientations have no legal roles under the Electoral Act and in the electoral process,” Force spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said in a statement. “He, therefore, directed all Police Managers to ensure they are not utilized by political or community actors for any role during the electioneering campaign and other electoral processes as such would amount to an illegality, a threat to national security, and inimical to the nation’s democratic interest.”
“The IGP charged all officers present to boost the security of their public space towards guaranteeing a crime-free and enabling environment for political campaigns and other components of the electoral process noting that following the announcement by the INEC for the commencement of electioneering campaigns by all political parties from 28th September 2022, the national political space will become very active and susceptible to an increase in politically related offences,” the statement further read.
“The IGP tasked all Strategic Police Managers with discharging their duties before, during, and after the electioneering process in line with the dictates of the Electoral Act 2022, and the Code of Conduct and Nigeria Police Force Rules of Engagement for Security Personnel on Election Duty issued in 2020 by the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).”