From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, has said all security agencies are assessing the security situation ahead of 2023 general elections as well as the staggered elections in Ekiti and Osun state.
The IGP stated this Thursday while fielding questions from State House Correspondents after the first meeting of National Security Council in 2022 presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
According to him, the security agencies were working to ensure that timetable on election duties were protected and that a conducive atmosphere was guaranteed for Nigerians to exercise their franchise.
Responding to a question on whether 2023 elections would hold following the fear expressed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), he said: “The issue of general election, we are very conscious of the fact that even before the general election, we have staggerered election that is coming up in the next maybe eight weeks. The issue of Osun and Ekiti.
“The service chiefs and the heads of security agencies are members of the Interagency Consultative Forum on the elections.
“We are assessing the security situation and we are hopeful and we believe the narrative will change for the better in terms of securing the country, to enable us conduct the general election and even the staggered elections. Efforts are being made.
“I am aware INEC has expressed its fears and so forth. But we are also working towards changing the narrative within the quickest possible means to ensure that that national timetable on election duties are adhered to by our combined efforts to bring sanity to clear and make a level playing ground for all members of the public to exercise their franchise.”
On why areas with serious threats don’t have enough policing while areas without much threat like they south east, have enough policing, Baba said deployment is determined by yardsticks and threats assessment.
“Deployment should not be based on either size or number of persons or threat assessment in a place.
“It is all about how you police a particular place based on the number of people you have, based on your ability to also gather that manpower. “