Police warns against hate-speech during campaign

The police have that they will not condone any form of hate-speeches, indecent and criminal defamatory conducts from individuals and political parties that can cause threat to public peace and safety during the campaigns and beyond.

A statement yesterday by Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, said Commissioners of Police (CPs) in the Commands and Zonal Assistant Inspectors-General of Police throughout the country had been put under strict instruction by the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, not to tolerate any form of political thuggery, intimidation, demonstration of violent conducts and over-dramatisation of political fans that can precipitate political clashes and jeopardise prevailing peace in their commands from any political party or politician(s).

In another development, a group, the Concerned Christian Forum, has urged the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to stop ridiculing the Christian faith with its political utterances.

The National Co-ordinator of the group, James Amedu, who spoke with journalists yesterday in Abuja, said any attempt to politicise Christendom in the days leading to the 2019 elections should be resisted.

He alleged that some of the CAN leaders had been desecrating their pulpits by campaigning for certain candidates under the pretext that they are relaying God’s voice.

Also, the Lagos State House of Assembly has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to call the IGP to order over alleged interference of his men in the activities of state Houses of Assembly.

The resolution followed a motion by the Chief Whip of the House, Rotimi Abiru, under matters of urgent public importance, who lamented the desecration of the Legislature by the police and Executive arm across the country.

“Some people are interfering with the proceedings of the Houses of Assembly. It is clear in the constitution that the three arms of governments are interdependent.”