With close to some 200,000 officers and men, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) appears ready to provide security during the April general elections in Nigeria. At least, Police can say in categorical terms that it has the manpower and therefore, ready for the task.
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| Commissioner of Police (CP),Yakubu Alkali |
In Lagos for example, Nigeria’s commercial capital for instance, the Commissioner of Police (CP), Yakubu Alkali, confirmed to LEADERSHIP in a telephone interview on Thursday that he would like to keep the number of Policemen expected on duty for the April polls, rescheduled to begin this Saturday, close to his chest. He, however, vowed to deliver violence free elections in the State.
According to him, “I can tell you that we in Lagos State are more than ready and set to go. Officers and men designated for election duty have all been briefed on what the rules of the game are. They all know their limit at the polling stations. We have been properly equipped, by the Police High Command and the state government and so therefore, we have no reason to fail. Lagos residents should go about their electoral business without any fear of molestation because we are in control.”
But even with all these, security of lives and property before, during and after elections in the country still appear to be a herculean task. The Police, in this regard tend to be helpless. In fact, few days to the polls which were earlier billed to commence last Saturday, intelligence report said there were already huge arms piling in Lagos, Ogun and Oyo States and blamed it on porous border and compromise by security agents at such places of entry. The discovery was made by men and officers of the State Security Service (SSS).
Similarly, a United State of America (USA) based Human Rights Watch, said a successful transfer of power means more than just keeping the country from falling apart. Peter Takirambudde, Executive Director of the Africa division at Human Rights Watch said, “It means that voters must be protected from intimidation and violence aimed at silencing their voices. It means that candidates must be able to stand for office without fear of bloodshed.”
Many politicians have taken advantage of rampant poverty and unemployment to recruit young men, who intimidate and even kill their opponents or opponents’ supporters. For example, in Kwara State, supporters of the governor and the leading gubernatorial candidate have been in conflict, leading to the killing of a state party chairman in August 2002 and the bombing of a newspaper office in November 2002.
Some of the worst violence reportedly took place during the primaries of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), particularly in the oil-producing state of Bayelsa, in the South-South zone. Politically-motivated killings and other attacks have occurred in many other areas, including the South-East and the South-West. In central and northern states, some politicians have used religion and ethnicity to galvanise political support or opposition, stirring up sentiments that could spark further communal violence in Nigeria, as evidenced by the so-called Miss World riots in Kaduna in November 2002.
Most of the cases of political violence remain unresolved. Although the police have made some arrests, prosecutions are rare. “Impunity is encouraging ruthless politicians to believe they can continue using violence to silence their opponents,” said Takirambudde.
The Human Rights Watch said it also documented the status of preparations for elections, and made recommendations to the Nigerian government and the international community on how to help prevent political violence and ensure that the elections are free of human rights abuses.
Takirambudde added: “People in Nigeria have proven they are eager to vote and participate.But many may still be left out, either because of the bungling of preparations by the electoral commission, or because of outright intimidation and fraud by candidates.”
Takirambudde’s fear is understood. At least it is on record that at a party primary in Lagos organised by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), over eight people lost their lives. The situation was not different during the Action Congress of Nigeria (CPC) primary in the state. A report has it that five persons were brutally hacked down by yet to be identified persons in the Badagary area of the state.The situation is unsafe and perilous in many part of the country with little or no answer by the security agencies on how to check the situation and ensure transparent, violence free and fair elections in the country. Needless to say here that there had been riots, bombings and assassinations in Nigeria. Yet, not a vote has been cast in what has turned out to be the most expensive elections in Africa’s history. To this effect, the Nigeria Elections Situation Room, a forum of groups focusing on the upcoming elections said, “The unprecedented levels of violence that have seen several people killed, maimed, kidnapped or intimidated for political reasons pose the single most significant threat to the conduct of general elections”.
Already, an estimated 70 people have been reported killed in political violence in just a run-up to the national elections that will be held the next Saturdays. Every day brings stories of violence and intimidation from across the country. An Islamic militant group reportedly killed three people this week at a rally in the north. At the same event, police said it stopped “two heavy explosives” from detonating in the crowd.
Too often, however, police are unable to stop the bloodshed. A situation that made the European Union (EU) to described the 2007 elections as the worst they had ever seen anywhere in the world, with rampant rigging, violence, theft of ballot boxes and intimidation. As Africa’s most populous country and its largest oil producer, Nigeria is important. Yet, despite its enormous oil wealth, 80% of the population lives on less than $2 a day, according to the United Nations.
Up to this point, there have been 16 bomb explosions in the country, all in the pre-election period. Compared to two explosions in 2007, according to Shehu Sani of Civil Rights Congress, that number continues to increase on almost daily basis. Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has canceled leave for emergency officers during the elections and identified one-third of the country’s 36 states as “flash points,” an indication that all is not well.
The federal government has ordered the deployment of the military during the elections for security purposes. However, opposition political parties have rejected the security measures. “The deployment of troops creates an atmosphere of warfare, which in turn heats up the polity,” an opposition party, Action Congress of Nigeria (CAN) said, adding that “that is why it is not a common occurrence in other climes during elections.”
Olusola Amore, Police spokesman, assured that the military will guard ballot boxes. He said, “We are taking note of volatile areas and adequately planning our deployment, noting that three or four security agents will be posted at each polling booth. But Human Rights Watch warned that similar steps were taken during the 2007 elections, but backfired.
“The police were often present during such incidents but frequently turned a blind eye or, at times, participated in abuses, yet no one has been held accountable for these crimes,” the group said.
An electoral reform committee, established in 2008 reported that no Nigerian has been convicted and punished for electoral offenses since Independence in 1960.
In a recent statement, the Independent National Electoral Commission said, “Make no mistake about it: this test of honour is inescapably a collective one for all Nigerians. It is our national honour at stake, and our relevance in the affairs of the modern world being redefined.”
But the commission also admitted its limitations in ensuring smooth elections, saying “by all means, the test isn’t INEC’s alone; the election management body is only a midwife of the process and an umpire on the play turf.”
The concern is that despite all the promises, the trend appears to be happening all over again and might still happen.
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