A former Inspector-General of the Nigerian Police (IGP) Chief Mike Okiro, has encouraged the I-GP Alkali Baba to deal decisively with election violence perpetrators and policemen who watch aimlessly while such violence s being committed.
Okiro made the call on Thursday in Lagos, while addressing newsmen about his views concerning the general elections, particularly on security for the exercise.
He urged the police to deal with hired gunmen, political thugs, sundry election miscreants and offenders to deter others.
He said citizens should not be forced or cowed to vote for or pander to the dictates of any candidate other than the candidate of their choice.
Okiro, who was also a former Chairman, Police Service Commission, said while the election was peaceful in some areas, the conduct was marred by widespread violence, intimidation and forcefull prevention of voters from casting their ballots for the candidates of their choice.
“What strikes me the most in all of this, and which I consider objectionable and roundly condemnable as a trained security officer, is the election violence and voter-intimidation, especially the use of gunmen and thugs to harass, scare away voters and election officials, as well as the snatching of ballot boxes.
“In some domains, certain persons were strongly accused of dishing out threats to voters to vote for certain candidates against their conscience or face dire consequences, like being driven away from the parts of the country they chose to live and do their businesses.
“In some other areas, the properties of Nigerians are being willfully destroyed, ostensibly to cow them to vote for candidates that are not their choice.
“Sadly, some policemen were accused of watching helplessly while the violence was orchestrated. Should such conducts still be trailing Nigeria in the 21st Century? The answer is absolutely NO,” he said.