With campaigns for the 2027 general elections gathering pace across the country, the Nigeria Police Force has moved to rein in political thuggery, ordering a nationwide crackdown on the destruction of campaign materials and promising to protect National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and other election workers.
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has directed Commissioners of Police in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to investigate reported cases of campaign vandalism and to arrest and prosecute offenders, including those who sponsor them, according to a statement reported by The Sun. A day later, the Force spokesman told a joint security briefing in Abuja that corps members and ad hoc staff working for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would be shielded before, during and after the polls, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported.
IGP Orders Arrest of Vandals and Their Sponsors
The directive was announced on Wednesday, November 4, by the Force Public Relations Officer, Ani Iniedu. According to The Sun, the police described the tearing down of posters and billboards and other attacks on campaign materials as political intolerance that would not be tolerated.
The statement cited Section 451 of the Criminal Code Act and Section 326 of the Penal Code Law, which deal with malicious damage and mischief. It warned that people who recruit, finance or encourage such destruction can also be held responsible, not only those caught in the act.
The force closed its statement with a blunt warning to politicians and their supporters: “Respect the law. Let democracy thrive.”
Protection Promised for Corps Members and INEC Workers
On Thursday, November 5, Iniedu repeated the message at a joint security agencies briefing organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). According to NAN, as published by P.M. News, he said the police had carried out an extensive threat assessment and were working with INEC and other agencies to secure everyone involved in the elections.
His assurance came against the background of recent abductions of corps members and prospective corps members in Ogun and Imo states, which have raised fresh concerns among families of young graduates who serve as polling officials.
Iniedu pointed to the recent Osun governorship election, where he said the police engaged corps members and their parents, and said the forthcoming general election would be handled the same way. He added that the IGP had ordered the immediate distribution of operational equipment and logistics, and that deployments were being increased.
On political violence, the police spokesman said about 11 cases of hate speech had been documented, and that commissioners had been told to ensure the immediate arrest and prosecution of offenders. He also said there were channels for members of the public to report commissioners who fail to act.
Army Pledges Neutrality
The Nigerian Army has also sought to reassure voters. The General Officer Commanding 1 Division and Commander of Sector 1, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Major General Abubakar Sadique Muhammad Wase, pledged that troops would be professional, neutral and non-partisan, The Sun reported.
He spoke when Abba Yahaya, described by the Army as INEC’s Acting State Electoral Commissioner in Kaduna, visited the division’s headquarters in Kaduna on Wednesday. Wase said the Army would concentrate on outer-perimeter security, leaving the polling units themselves to the police and other agencies, and urged INEC to step up voter education, including for its ad hoc staff. Yahaya called for closer cooperation between the commission and the military.
Why It Matters
Nigeria’s elections have a long history of violence, from attacks on rallies and party offices to the destruction of election materials and assaults on polling staff. Corps members, who make up a large share of INEC’s ad hoc workforce on election day, have often been among the most exposed. INEC has previously said it plans to deploy around 1.4 million corps members for the 2027 polls.
The latest warnings come as the major parties step up their campaigns. In recent days the police have also had to respond to an attack on vehicles in Peter Obi’s convoy in Calabar, and the ADC has accused authorities in Sokoto of intimidation during Atiku Abubakar’s campaign launch, incidents that highlight how tense the race has already become.
What Happens Next
The test will be whether the directives lead to arrests and prosecutions, especially of sponsors, who are rarely brought to court. State commands are expected to act on the IGP’s order, and the police say members of the public can report commissioners who fail to respond. Security agencies are also expected to continue joint planning with INEC as the elections draw closer.
Sources: The Sun, P.M. News/News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
