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From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba, yesterday, said police operatives on electoral duties arrested 781 people for violation of electoral laws in the just concluded 2023 general elections in the country.
The IGP also said the police recovered 132 firearms of various descriptions from electoral adversaries during the elections.
Baba, who made the disclosure at a meeting with the state commissioners of police and above in Abuja, commended police personnel for their dedication during the elections, but condemned the actions of some political actors, who he said engaged in ethnic profiling in advancing their interests.
He said the meeting was aimed at evaluating its performance during the 2023 general elections process, highlighting lessons and strengths, and identifying key challenges.
Giving details of how the 781 people were arrested, the IGP said: “Feedbacks so far received across the 36 states of the federation and the FCT indicates that a total of 489 major electoral infractions leading to the arrest of a total of 781 offenders were recorded nationally, both during the presidential and National Assembly elections and the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections, while not less than 66 firearms of various descriptions were recovered from electoral adversaries.
“A summary indicates that a total of 185 major electoral offences were reported during the presidential and national assembly elections with 203 arrests made and 18 firearms recovered. Similarly, a total of 304 electoral offences were recorded during the gubernatorial and state Houses of Assembly polls with a total number of 578 arrests and 48 firearms.
The IGP, while assuring that the police would collaborate with the INEC leadership in ensuring that all electoral offenders are expeditiously and transparently prosecuted, said this would be done not only in the interest of criminal justice delivery, but in furtherance to our vision of sanitising our democratic space.
He said: “I directed that all electoral offences case files across all state Commands be submitted to my office, where a committee has been established to centrally collate and coordinate the processing of the case files to INEC, preparatory to the commencement of the prosecution process.
“While this process is being perfected, you are directed to draw on your discretionary powers in granting administrative bail to the suspects, to avoid human rights infractions that could result from lengthy custody of the offenders, pending the pressing of charges against them.
“In so doing, however, you must be mindful of the nature of their crimes and ensure that they, by law and practice, fall within the categories that are ordinarily bailable at police level.”
