LG polls: Okiro reads Riot Act to CPs, others

Clement Idoko, Abuja - 30.11.2007

THE Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro, on Thursday warned the commissioners of police in all the states of the federation to avoid being used by politicians.

He said the police bosses should learn from the crisis that enveloped Kano in the wake of the council election. Okiro gave these directives on Thursday at a meeting with top police officers to appraise the current security situation in Abuja, with a promise to deal with miscreants and hoodlums against peaceful conduct of the elections.

He also told the police command heads that a lesson should be learnt from the states that had conducted their local government elections.

He called for a closer collaboration among the state commands so that where necessary, police could easily be deployed from one state to another to assist in the conduct of the elections, just as he advised that the elections should not be conducted on the same date in all the remaining states.

Mr. Okiro also directed all state commands to make sure that all vehicles in their fleets were registered and that they had their number states including escort vehicles.

“All vehicles including escorts vehicles should have registered number plates and a letter should be written to ADC of state governors on the issue.”

The IG also directed that all security men attached to political office holders or public officers while they were in office should be withdrawn after their tenure.

Also, police orderlies sent to protect people who said their lives were threatened should be withdrawn at the moment of peace.