IGP Baba Reveals Major Threats To 2023 General Election

The Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, has said criminal elements such as terrorists, bandits, and members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) are the major threats to the 2023 general elections.

Speaking during a media briefing in Abuja on Friday, ahead of the presidential and National Assembly elections, Baba said the activities of these criminal elements portend a great challenge for the exercise.

The police chief added that the continuous attacks on facilities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by unknown gunmen still remain a challenge to the polls.

Baba also revealed that political thuggery as well as intra and inter-party crises also pose a challenge to the February 25, 2023 poll.

He said, “Activities of bandits, terrorists, and secessionists and self-actualisation elements popularly known as IPOB or ESN still remain a challenge.”

Baba said state security organisation like Amotekun Corps in the South-West, Ebubeagu in the South-East or the Benue Guare have been banned from participating in Saturday’s poll.

The IGP said, “However, I have issued directive that no quasi-security organisation is to be involved in policing the political process.”

On the challenges faced by the police ahead of the general elections, Baba said the issues wee still there but started that plans have been perfected to ensure a peaceful election.

He said, “Much as the Nigerian Police has perfected plans to engender a peaceful electoral process, the following have been identified as possible challenges.

“They are with us, and we will continue to manage it. For us to manage these challenges, we have upscaled our operations and therefore believe that we have conditioned the atmosphere more than before.

“In other words, our analysis of the crime situation in Nigeria has dropped drastically compared to what we have recorded as crime and criminality in the last one month.”

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