Niger Police Warn against Violence

By Laleye Dipo in Minna

Following the escalation of politically induced violence across the state since the commencement of party primaries, the Niger State Police Command has warned that it will not allow people to take the laws into their hands anywhere in the state.

The command’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Dibal Yakadi, who gave the warning Thursday while exchanging views with some newsmen, said anyone caught would be dealt with according to the law.

Yakadi’s warning might not be unconnected with the outbreak of violence in Suleja town recently, which precipitated the loss of lives, while several vehicles were destroyed and the reported killing of a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporter at Barakin-sale area of Minna on Wednesday night.

“The police will not allow anything that will undermine the process or cause a breach of the peace in the state during the ongoing primary election and the general election next year.

“Any person or group of people found with dangerous weapons will be arrested and prosecuted.

“We will not tolerate any form of political violence and thuggery during and after the ongoing primaries,” the police boss declared.

According to him, “We have an intelligence report that there is a grand plan to make the ongoing primaries of the political parties violent and deadly by arming thugs to unleash mayhem across the state.

“We have deployed sufficient security personnel to all the political parties to provide peaceful atmosphere for the conduct of their primaries.”

He also said that aspirants or their supporters preparing for ‘fire for fire’ must be ready to face the consequences of their actions because “our armed personnel are battle ready to deal decisively with any of them fomenting trouble during and after the exercise”.

The commissioner said the police would continue to be proactive and would not rest on their oars in the task of providing a peaceful atmosphere for the smooth elections by all the political parties.

He advised the people of the state “to be law abiding and go about their lawful duties without fear and with the full assurance of the protection of law abiding citizens”.