On the day of the election, IGP orders movement restrictions nationwide

On the day of the election, the IGP orders movement restrictions nationwide.

To guarantee a smooth run of the presidential and National Assembly elections worldwide on February 25, 2023, Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Usman Baba has issued an order restricting movement statewide.

According to a statement released on Wednesday and signed by the force’s public relations officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the IGP also reiterated the rule that police officers are not permitted to accompany candidates to voting places or centres for data collection.

The complete text of the statement that PlatinumPost was able to receive is as follows:

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, psc(+), NPM, NEAPS, fdc, CFR, has ordered a restriction of all vehicular movement on roads, waterways, and other forms of transportation, from 12 am to 6 pm on election day, following the first phase of the 2023 General Elections, the Presidential and National Assembly Elections, scheduled to take place across all States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Saturday, February

The order, which is a component of the measures put in place to guarantee a safe, secure, and favourable environment for the conduct of elections, aims to manage public order, ensure voter protection, and support the security agencies in effective policing, preventing hoodlums and criminally inclined individuals from interfering with the electoral process.

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The IGP also sternly urges all security aides and escorts to refrain from accompanying their principals and politicians to voting places and collation centres during the election as anyone found to be in violation of this direction will face serious sanctions. Only election-related security officers should be present inside and around the authorised polling places, he stressed. In addition, it is still against the law to utilise sirens, rotating lights, covered licence plates, or tinted glasses; offenders will face commensurate punishment. Also, no quasi-security groups, privately held guard and security companies, or security outfits founded and owned by the State are permitted to supervise election security.

The IGP appeals to all eligible voters to be law-abiding and turn out in large numbers to exercise their right to vote while sympathising with well-meaning folks on the problems the restriction may cause. On the other hand, he issues a warning, saying that the Force will deal ruthlessly with any person(s) or group(s) who attempt to undermine our unity or undermine efforts to hold an election in peace. Therefore, the IGP urges all citizens to abstain from vote buying, vote selling, hate speech, misinformation, and disinformation, snatching of ballot boxes, and other criminal act(s), as the Force and other security agencies will stop at nothing to ensure that all violators of current laws, especially the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended), are prosecuted.

As a result, the Nigeria Police Force urges all members of the public to get in touch with them via the “NPF Rescue Me App” available on Android and iOS or via the NPF Rescue Me Emergency Toll-free line at 08031230631 to report suspicious people, activities, or to request security response from the Nigeria Police Force and the Joint Election Monitoring and Operations Room located at the Force Headquarters in Abuja. For emergency contact, the State Police Commands will also issue other joint operations/election situation room numbers.