• To parley with contestants, establish emergency contact lines  

• Three feared killed in blast near PDP rally in Gombe 

AHEAD of the coming polls, the Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba has faulted the reported movement of some people to their home states for fear of electoral violence.

  He also disclosed to ensure violent free and peaceful polls. The police have directed its zonal and state commands to hold a meeting with all contestants, just as the movement of some people from one part of the country to the other is said to be unnecessary. 

  Meanwhile, about three people were feared killed and 18 others wounded when a car bomb exploded outside a stadium in Gombe minutes after President Goodluck Jonathan left a campaign rally there.

    On the report that most Nigerians are travelling ‘home’ for fear of electoral violence, the IGP said that it would be unnecessary for anyone to start embarking on a journey in fright that the polity would be inundated with violence, as the police have already put in place plans to tackle the situation.

  He added that it was a collective responsibility of all Nigerians, as stakeholders to shun acts that would cause any form of destruction. 

  “We even took note of the report that some people are relocating to other places, but we want to assure everyone that the police have been strategising and would implement those strategies. We have instructions issued out and the INEC has done its best to implement those directives.

  “Movement from one part of the country to the other is not the right thing; we should as stakeholders work towards a violent free peaceful process. The purpose for the establishment of political parties is for the parties to learn to work for the people.

  “Section 24 of the constitution makes it clear that everyone has a responsibility, relocating is therefore not the answer. Working towards convincing those who are fanning the embers of violence to shun this road is the best answer, the politicians should lead in this regard.

  “They should not arm their members for violence, nor condone such acts that tend to depict or leads to violent behaviours. It is a collective responsibility, all stakeholders need to come together, particularly the contestants and sign peace accord so that their members will understand that the game is played according to the law, not according to their whims,” he said.

  Abba stated these at the planned meeting  yesterday in Abuja while meeting with Zonal Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIGs) and Command Commissioners of Police (CPs), adding that the move was one of the many strategies the security agencies were adopting to ensure that the process was conducted in an atmosphere of peace.

  “In our effort to prevent violence, before, during and after the election, AIGs will lead the CPs in the zones to prevent violence, they will bring together all the contestants, to discuss how best to work together and come out with peace accords.

  “Once that is done and it is done wholeheartedly, their followers will take it for good and be partners in activities that would ensure peace during the period.”

  He said that all preparations were made for the INEC in collaboration with other security outfits to provide “that maximum security required for Nigerians to go and cast their votes.

  “We also want to restate that we’ll make adequate arrangements to provide security for INEC, the officials who are managers of the conduct of the elections, including the materials that they will be using, so that they discharge their responsibilities efficiently,” he assured.

  He also disclosed that investigations of those who were arrested in connection with violent conducts during last week campaigns were ongoing.

  Abba added: “We are happy to note that in the next one week, according to the schedule of the political parties, the campaign rallies would have been over, unofficially. We would then concentrate on preventing pre-election violence and such acts during the election.”   

  The insurgents suspected to be members of Boko Haram have stepped up attacks in the run-up to the polls.

  Mohammed Bolari, who was at the rally in Gombe, said that the explosion occurred some three minutes after Jonathan’s departure, according to Agence France Presse (AFP).

  “The president had just passed the parking lot and we were trailing behind his convoy when the explosion happened,” he was quoted as saying.

  President Jonathan addressed a rally in the Northeastern city a day after it was hit by two blasts that killed at least five people, he added.

  Since after the explosion, the city has largely been in lockdown with security operatives restricting the movement of people in most areas, media reports say.

  A journalist, who spoke under anonymity, told AFP that the latest blast had led to unrest in Gombe, with angry youths attacking supporters of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

  “They were shouting and denouncing the president’s visit which they blamed for the attack,” he added. 

  Meanwhile, the Gombe Police Command on Sunday banned the use motorcycles in Gombe, the state capital until tomorrow.

  The command’s spokesman, Fwaje Atajiri, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), also confirmed the twin blasts but said investigations were still ongoing over the incident.