Kwara Police Commissioner Warns Hoodlums  against Defacing Campaign Billboards

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

Piqued by the recent defacing of the campaign billboards of some political parties in Kwara State by suspected political hoodlums, the State Police Commissioner, Mr. Paul Odama, has warned  that anybody caught indulging in the act would be made to face the full wrath of the law.

Odama emphasised during the weekend that the action of some suspected hoodlums is against the Electoral Act.

THISDAY investigations revealed that some billboards of the SDP, PDP and ADC were defaced by some hoodlums along Omu-Aran, Ekiti areas of the state.

Odama who spoke in Ilorin on the ugly development said that defacing campaign billboards was also against the peace accord signed with the police command to ensure a hitch free and fair elections in the state come 2023 elections.

He said: “I am not happy at the reports about the bare-faced disobedience to my admonition to political gladiators to warm their supporters against destruction and defacement of opposing political party posters during my parley with executives of political parties few weeks ago.

“Destruction of Banners and Bill-boards, apart from being against the electoral law is also a crime against the freedom of expression as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is also morally unjustifiable.

“Consequently, any person or group of persons found in the act of destroying or defacing any political party postal or bill-board would be arrested and prosecuted.”

The commissioner of Police, therefore,  advised “parents and guidance to warn their children and wards against becoming tools in the hands of some mischievous politicians who are hell bent on jeopardising the level playing ground the command has promised and working hard to emplace in the state to achieve a peaceful, free and credible elections come 2023.”

He added that “I have directed all the divisional police officers in the state to intensify patrols within their areas of responsibilities to ensure that no bill board or postal of any political party is defaced or destroyed.

“The move is my determination to end the negative acts of bill board destruction.”

He, therefore, urged divisional police officers to be prepared to face the consequences of dereliction of the directives.