BEVERLY HILLS, February 22, (THEWILL) – The Nigeria Police has faulted a report recently released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the rerun Rivers legislative election which indicted the police and other security agencies.
Reacting to the report, the police in a statement issued by the Force Spokesman, CSP Jimoh Moshood, maintained that the Force is apolitical, will not engage in any political partisanship and will continue to ensure that election security is guaranteed across the country.
“The Nigeria Police Force as the lead agency in election security in the country recognizes the need to ensure that the rule of law, policing based on International core values with integrity, principles of democratic policing in conformity with the electoral acts prevail in all its operations as regard elections, and protection of life and property across the nation,” it said.
“Consequent on the conduct of the Rivers Rerun Election of 10th December, 2017, and the attendant irregularities and violence witnessed during the election, the Nigeria Police Force acted promptly and proactively by the setting up and inauguration of a joint investigative panel, made up of senior police officers and officers of Department of State Security Service with proven integrity by the Inspector General of Police, on the 22nd December, 2016, to investigate all the misconducts, identified infractions, incidents of violence and other actions and inactions of police personnel and INEC Officials, other security agencies and stakeholders who were deployed for the 10th December, 2016 Rivers rerun election.
Meanwhile, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has advised the Police and other security agencies to shun electoral malpractices and violence ahead of the conclusion of rerun elections in Etche/Omuma Federal Constituency scheduled for Saturday.
The governor also appealed to INEC to desist from actions that would negatively affect the smooth conduct of the conclusion of the election in the Etche/Omuma Federal Constituency saying the forthcoming conclusive rerun elections presents INEC and Police the opportunity to redeem themselves.
