Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has assured foreign election observers that adequate security arrangements will be put in place to protect them and other participants during the 2027 general elections.
Disu gave the assurance amid concerns over the safety of international observers who may be deployed to monitor the elections, saying the police are developing a comprehensive security framework for the exercise.
The IGP, represented by Francis Idu, spoke at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) World Press Conference and National Stakeholders’ Meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said the police would review the security situation in states and areas considered vulnerable to violence, with the assessment expected to guide preparations ahead of the elections. He specifically referenced states including Edo, Enugu, Taraba and Plateau, as well as other areas identified as having security challenges.
According to The Sun, Disu said the police were also planning an operation aimed at preventing electoral violence before, during and after the elections. He added that the security architecture being developed would provide sufficient manpower to protect foreign observers and ensure a peaceful electoral environment.
Also speaking at the meeting, the INEC Chairman said the commission would convene a security stakeholders’ meeting involving the IGP, service chiefs and heads of other security agencies to review election security arrangements.
He said lessons from previous elections would inform the commission’s preparations for 2027, stressing that INEC remained committed to conducting elections that are free, fair, transparent and credible.
