Inspector General of Police (IGP) Olatunji Disu on Monday unveiled a six-point agenda to guide police deployment for Nigeria’s 2027 general election, covering early intelligence gathering, rigorous training, joint command with sister agencies, fast communication, partnership with the public and strict political neutrality.
Disu spoke at the opening of the 2026 Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers (CARSPO) in Owerri, Imo State, themed “developing a Nigeria Police roadmap for effective management of election security.”
Under the roadmap, the IGP directed that flashpoints and criminal networks be mapped immediately, with credible intelligence reaching commands in time for action. He warned that “a polling unit where these citizens feel unsafe is a polling unit where the election has already failed,” referring to women, the elderly and persons with disabilities.
Officers would be trained in crowd management, protection of electoral materials and personnel, and human-rights-compliant policing, while joint exercises with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other agencies would establish clear lines of command before incidents occur.
Disu also raised concern over election disinformation, directing that fake results, forged police statements and inflammatory videos be monitored and countered swiftly, with those who incite violence online facing prosecution.
Citing lessons from the recent Osun State governorship election, which he described as largely peaceful despite isolated cases of voter intimidation and inducement, Disu ordered a review of the Force’s intelligence, response time and training gaps.
He warned that any officer who takes sides, harasses voters or colludes with political actors during the elections would be investigated and punished, and directed all Commissioners of Police to publish official contact numbers for public access.
Disu tasked the retreat with producing a practical framework for training, deployment and command structure, insisting it must not become “another document on a shelf,” and set a deadline of October 12 for a finished roadmap and election-security taskforce.
He closed his address with a call-and-response charge to officers, urging them to be “Neutral. Prepared. Present. Accountable” as they return to their commands.
On the Force’s operational scorecard, Disu said police have arrested 1,643 suspects and rescued 1,066 kidnap victims since his assumption of office in February, giving a breakdown of the eight-month tally: 251 terrorists and suspected bandits, 343 murder suspects, 566 armed robbery suspects and 483 suspected cultists arrested, alongside the recovery of 947 firearms and more than 22,000 rounds of ammunition.
He acknowledged the figures offered little comfort to Nigerians still living under the threat of kidnapping, banditry, terrorism and communal violence. “Numbers do not console a grieving family. We will not slow down on these threats because an election is coming. We will fight them and secure the elections at the same time,” he said.
The IG paid tribute to officers who died in the line of duty and pledged improved welfare for their families and for serving personnel, noting the retreat coincided with the International Day of Peace, marked globally under the theme “Invest in Peace — For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day.”
The opening ceremony at the Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu International Convention Centre, Owerri, was attended by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) representing President Bola Tinubu; Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma; a representative of the Senate President; military and security chiefs; and captains of industry.
Organised annually by Lenders Consult in collaboration with the Force Headquarters and other sponsors, CARSPO serves as a platform for police management and security stakeholders to chart a way forward on effective and accountable policing. Disu thanked Uzodimma for hosting the sixth edition of the retreat and commended Lenders Consult Nigeria Limited for its support, as well as Tinubu for backing the Force with improved welfare, equipment, recruitment and funding.
