Kogi Guber: No police officers in their right senses will help thugs to steal ballot boxes, says IGP

IGP Mohammed Adamu 

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Muhammad Adamu, on Tuesday rubbished alligations that police officers colluded with thugs to steal ballot boxes during the Kogi governorship election.

Observer groups that monitored the Kogi elections reported widespread acts of violence and vote racketeering amongst political parties. Security agents, especially police officers, were accused of either colluding with thugs to steal ballot boxes or actively participating in the disruption of polling units.



But reacting to State House reporters on Tuesday, Mr Adamu said those who were seen wearing police uniform to disrupt election were not necessarily police officers, saying genuine officers were adequately tagged for the exercise.

“During the elections, anybody you saw either in police uniform or military uniform that does not carry the tag that has been given for the election, that person is not genuine police officer or military officer or that he was not on official duty,” he said.




“Because, we were aware of the fact that or we were told that some politicians were going to sow police and military uniforms, so we devised some other means of identifying those that were on election duty.

“We have them tags. So no police officers in their senses [would disrupt election] because [we] recruited and trained them before the elections to play by the rules, be professional, work within where you are posted and not beyond,” he said.


Mr Adamu clarified that helicopters that were seeing hovering over the sky in Lokoja and other parts of Kogi State were intended to scare would-be ballot box thieves and other violent elements.

“Of course if you see helicopter hovering over your head you want to snatch ballot boxes or you have carried, definitely you will know you are being monitored and you will stop,” he said.

The method was criticised by mostly opposition figures, who said the helicopters fired tear gas to disrupt voting in opposition strongholds.