Okiro urges sanction for errant officers on election duty

Former Chairman of Police Service Commission (PSC), Mike Okiro, has called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali and other security heads to sanction officers, who feigned helplessness, while hoodlums reigned supreme during the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

At a press briefing, yesterday, in Ikeja, Lagos, the ex-IGP urged the electorate to come en masse on March 18 and peacefully vote for their preferred candidates at the governorship and House of Assembly polls.

He acknowledged that despite being peaceful in some areas, the just-conducted presidential poll was marred by widespread violence, intimidation and voter suppression.

“What caught me the most as a trained security officer are violence and voter intimidation, especially the use of gunmen and thugs to harass, scare away voters and election officials, as well as snatching of ballot boxes in some areas, while properties of Nigerians were being destroyed,” he added.

Okiro charged political gladiators and the electorate to shun violence before, during and after the upcoming elections.

He pleaded with the media to be very vigilant and capture video clips of malpractices and violence by hired political thugs.