The Nigeria Police Force says it plans to train senior officers on election security management in preparation for the 2019 general election.

The Inspector General Police (IG), Ibrahim Idris, represented by Mr Akpan Uwem, Borno Commissioner of Police, disclosed this at a two day train the trainer workshop for senior police officers in Abuja on Tuesday.

Idris said the training was coming at a crucial time in view of the forthcoming general election.
He explained that the training was aimed at ensuring improved professionalism in the force as there were already identified threats that were likely to trigger violence in the 2019 general election.

“The train-the-trainer workshop that is being organised by Cleen Foundation under the support of the European Union is coming at a very crucial time in view of the forthcoming general election.”

“It is even more fundamental as there are already existing threats that are likely to trigger violence in the election. Hence the need for the officers and men to be well equipped with necessary skills that will enhance their professional conduct before, during and after the election,’’ he said.

Idris noted that the training would improve election security management and contribute to the peaceful conduct of the election more broadly.

He said police force is saddled with the constitutional responsibility of securing lives and properties of the citizens and it is achieving that through continuous partnership with civil society organisations like the Cleen foundation.
The police chief said that threats across the country including those affecting the territorial integrity of the Nigerian state remained national security threats as activities were building up towards the general election.

He expressed optimism that the Police Service Commission would step down lessons from the training to other officers across the six geopolitical zones of the country to enhance the conduct of officers for service delivery during the election.

On his part, Mr Benson Olugbuo, Executive Director, Cleen foundation, said that the training was to ensure that the security agencies especially the police work toward ensuring free, credible and general election in 2019.

Olugbuo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that all officers being trained were recommended by the police authorities force through the IGP.

He said participants were mostly senior police officers like Commissioners of Police (CP), Deputy Commissioners (DP), who would be saddled with responsibilities in the general election.

“The training is being done as part of the European Union support for democratic governance. The essence is for the tutors to have opportunities to interact with senior police officers, to remind them as duty bearers of their responsibilities under the constitution to provide free, fair and credible election in 2019,’’ he said.

Olugbuo said it was important for Nigerians to know that they had a police service commission which actually play an oversight on what the police is doing.

He reiterated that the foundation alongside the commission would fulfill its promises to monitor the election especially activities of security agencies during the election.

One of the trainees, Mrs Simbi Abiodun-Ige, a provost marshal, expressed delight over the training, calling on other groups, civil societies and foundations to also organise similar training and workshop for security agencies towards successful 2019 election.

“I am particularly grateful for the training and I will definitely put all we have learnt into good use to ensure a fair and neutral practice during the election,’’ she said.