By Nkechi Eze
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, has unveiled a six-point security roadmap for the 2027 general elections, pledging proactive intelligence gathering, intensive training, inter-agency coordination and strict accountability to safeguard the electoral process.
Disu, who spoke at the opening of the 2026 Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers (CARSPO 2026) in Owerri, Imo State, warned politicians and their supporters against recruiting thugs, buying votes, moving arms or threatening voters and electoral officials, stressing that the police would act against offenders irrespective of their status.
“To politicians and their supporters, my message is simple. Compete with ideas, not with thugs,” the IGP said.
He declared that the Nigeria Police Force would simultaneously tackle kidnapping, banditry, terrorism and communal violence while preparing for the elections, noting that the approach would not be relaxed because of the approaching electoral cycle.
“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,” Disu said.
The IGP said the Force had recorded significant operational gains since he assumed office in February 2026, with police personnel arresting 251 terrorists and suspected bandits, 343 murder suspects, 566 armed robbery suspects and 483 suspected cultists.
He added that the police had rescued 1,066 kidnap victims and recovered 947 firearms and more than 22,000 rounds of ammunition within the period.
Disu said the Force’s election security strategy would cover the entire electoral cycle rather than being limited to Election Day, encompassing intelligence gathering, planning, training, protection of electoral personnel and materials, prevention of violence and rapid response.
“Our duty does not begin on election day. It covers the whole electoral cycle,” he said. “We must prepare before the crisis, not during it.”
Unveiling the roadmap, the IGP identified early intelligence and warning systems, intensive training, joint command and coordination, rapid communication and technology, partnership with communities, and police neutrality and accountability as key pillars for election security.
He directed police commanders to map potential flashpoints and criminal networks ahead of the elections, insisting that credible intelligence must reach commands early enough to enable timely intervention.
On personnel preparedness, Disu said officers would receive specialised training in crowd management, protection of electoral personnel and materials, conflict prevention, rapid response and human-rights-compliant policing.
He also placed particular emphasis on protecting ad-hoc personnel of the Independent National Electoral Commission and vulnerable voters, including women, elderly citizens and persons with disabilities.
“A polling unit where these citizens feel unsafe is a polling unit where the election has already failed,” he said.
The IGP further called for closer coordination among the police, INEC and other security and law-enforcement agencies, stressing that no single agency could secure an election alone.
He said technology and reliable communication systems would be deployed to enhance real-time reporting, situational awareness and rapid response, while the Force would also monitor and counter election-related disinformation capable of triggering violence.
“Falsehood now travels faster than any patrol,” Disu said, warning that fake results, forged police statements and inflammatory online videos could spark violence before security personnel arrive.
He urged traditional and religious leaders, youths, civil society organisations, the media and citizens to work with the police by reporting emerging tensions and threats.
On police conduct, Disu reiterated that the Force would remain neutral and enforce the law without taking sides in political contests.
“We protect citizens and enforce the law. We do not decide political outcomes,” he said, adding that officers would be firm against violence while operating strictly within the law.
He directed Commissioners of Police to strengthen supervision in their respective commands, ensure that directives from Force Headquarters reach all personnel through regular briefings and publish official contact numbers through which members of the public could reach them.
“A Commissioner of Police the public cannot reach cannot understand the public’s fears,” Disu said.
The IGP also directed that election-duty allowances be paid on time and that duty rotations provide officers with adequate rest, while emphasising that the use of force must remain lawful, proportionate and a last resort.
He warned that any police officer who takes sides, harasses voters, colludes with political actors or abuses power during the elections would face investigation and disciplinary action.
Disu said the recent Osun election also provided lessons for the Force, including the need to examine intelligence gaps, response time, training and communication challenges and make necessary improvements ahead of the 2027 polls.
Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund, NPTF, said the Fund would continue to support the police in three critical areas of training, equipment and mobility to strengthen election security.
He said the responsibilities placed on police personnel during elections required adequate preparation and operational capacity.
“Election security places significant demands on the Nigeria Police Force. Meeting these responsibilities requires careful planning, but planning must also be supported by capacity,” the NPTF Executive Secretary said.
He explained that training would focus on operational readiness, crowd management, rules of engagement, coordination and professional conduct, while commanders would also be prepared to manage large-scale deployments across commands and formations.
On equipment, he said police personnel required adequate protective, communication and crowd-management equipment, as well as other operational resources necessary for safe and effective deployment.
“Our officers cannot be expected to perform effectively without the appropriate operational tools,” he said.
The NPTF Executive Secretary also identified mobility as essential to election security, given the geographical spread of the country and the need to reinforce vulnerable locations and respond rapidly to incidents.
“During elections, officers must be able to deploy quickly, reinforce locations where required and respond rapidly to incidents,” he said.
He stressed that resources alone would not guarantee successful election security, noting that planning, accountability, coordination and leadership remained equally important.
“The success of election security will depend on how effectively we plan, how well we coordinate our deployments, how responsibly we manage available resources and how quickly we respond to emerging challenges,” he said.
The Executive Secretary said the NPTF would work closely with the IGP and the leadership of the Force to ensure that its interventions were aligned with genuine operational requirements and contributed to strengthening the long-term capacity of the police beyond the 2027 elections.
The CARSPO 2026, themed “Developing a Nigeria Police Roadmap for Effective Management of Security During Elections,” is expected to produce a practical framework to guide police training, deployment, command structures and conduct before, during and after the 2027 elections.
Disu charged senior police officers to return to their commands with a renewed commitment to proactive policing and accountability.
“Be proactive. Be present. Be accessible. Be accountable,” he said, before leaving the officers with four words to guide their conduct during the electoral cycle: “Neutral. Prepared. Present. Accountable.”
