Usman Alkali Baba, Inspector-General of Police, has approved the establishment of Electoral Offences Desk, in a bid to improve the country’s electoral process.
Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi announced this in a statement shared via the official Twitter page of the Nigeria Police Force on Tuesday.
2023 CREDIBLE ELECTIONS: IGP ESTABLISHES ELECTORAL OFFENCES DESKS ACROSS THE NATION, ASSIGNS DESK OFFICERS
– Speaks Tough on Political Thuggery, as 24 Armed Political Thugs Arrested in Keffi pic.twitter.com/Q2EE0v8kpK
— Nigeria Police Force (@PoliceNG) June 7, 2022
Electoral Offences Desk
According to the statement, the desk would collate and investigate all electoral offences/complaints from members of the public or any quarters, with a view to determining culpability in line with the Electoral Act 2022.
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The Electoral Offences Desk will be sited at the Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID), Force Headquarters, Abuja, with the Commissioner of Police in charge of FCID as the Desk Officer.
Adejobi said the IG also approved the establishment of the desk at State Commands nationwide, with the Assistant Commissioners of Police in charge of the Criminal Investigation Departments as desk officers.
He explained that the idea was to determine the culpability of the complaints in line with the amended Electoral Act 2022, and proffering charges before Courts of competent jurisdiction for necessary legal action.
The IGP, according to him, called on the Desk Officers to commence their activities immediately with some isolated cases recorded during the pre-election activities.
Arrested Political Thugs
According to him, in line with this mandate, operatives of the Police Command in Nasarawa State have arrested 24 suspects over alleged political thuggery.
He said the suspects were arrested at Minki Suites, along Keffi-Akwanga Road following credible and actionable intelligence.
Adejobi revealed that the alleged thugs, suspected to be loyal to an aspirant in the Nasarawa West Senatorial District primaries came into the hotel in a convoy of seven private vehicles.
Recovered Items
He said items recovered from the suspects included eight pump action guns, two locally made revolver guns, 37 rounds of live cartridges, four bulletproof vests and 27 mobile phones.
The Police spokesman stated that other items recovered were two pairs of vigilante uniforms, five cutlasses, 10 assorted knives, criminal charms and other incriminating objects.
He said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects, who were thugs for hire, carried out their heinous acts under the guise of being members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN).
Adejobi said the IGP had ordered immediate transfer of the case to the Electoral Offences Desk at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID).
He added that the IGP also ordered the immediate arrest of the concerned aspirant for necessary investigative actions.
