‘LAGOS DID NOT WITNESS ANY WIDESPREAD ELECTORAL VIOLENCE’

‘LAGOS DID NOT WITNESS ANY WIDESPREAD ELECTORAL VIOLENCE’ – CP OWOHUNWA • Lagos Police Command arrests 45 suspects, recover PVCs, POS, arms etc.

L-R: CP Idowu Owohunwa and DCP Bassey Ewah

As against the pre-election threat analysis for Lagos state in the just – concluded 2023 general elections, the state defied the projections as the Commissioner of Police in Lagos, CP Idowu Owohunwa revealed today. The CP noted that this was enabled by the civility and professionalism with which the men and officers of the State Command conducted themselves. For this, Owohunwa applauded everyone under the Lagos State Police Command.

The Lagos CP Idowu Owohunwa made this known today at his inaugural meeting with Strategic Commanders under his leadership. the Lagos CP gave a postmortem report of the just concluded general elections in Lagos State, he said that it is to ‘debrief ourselves on our experiences, and cap up the operation with a view to evaluating our performances and drawing lessons that will strengthen our election security governance operations in future.’

Addressing the Lagos State Police Command on the elections, CP Idowu Owohunwa said: ‘Gentlemen officers, the Presidential and National Assembly Elections as well as the Gubernatorial and State Houses of Assembly elections presented some isolated challenges which were fundamentally fueled by fake news purveyors, hate news mongers, political extremists, thugs, and ethnic chauvinists all of whom fraudulently manipulated the social media not only to threaten the electoral process but to create tension and threaten peace and security within the wider polity. It is with a sense of professional fulfillment that I note that the Lagos State Police Command navigated through these challenges to deliver to Lagosians what has been widely acclaimed as the most peaceful, secure, and credible electoral engagement, in comparative terms, in the recent history of the State.’

Owohunwa hailed his men and officers, ‘This much was evidenced not just by the exceptional civility with which we policed the peaceful electorates but also, by the professionalism with which we responded to the localized and isolated security breaches that were orchestrated by electoral adversaries and the promptness with which we stabilized the security order without deploying lethal weapons and without causing or recording any citizens’ deaths all through the discharge of our duties in the 2023 General Elections in the State.’

‘Our exceptional performance was also evidenced by the reality that contrary to the pre-elections threat analysis projections which identified Lagos as one of the possible flash States where mass electoral violence was envisioned, Lagos State did not witness any widespread electoral violence neither did the State experience post-election disorder. Indeed, the post-election trend has been that of peace and stability with the Police continuing to dominate the public space in a manner that continues to re-assure the citizens and effectively deter ill-intentioned elements’,

The statistics of the election showed: ‘Against this, the Police recorded a combined total of fifty-four (54) major incidents across all the thirteen thousand, three hundred and twenty-five (13,325) Polling Units in the State, while a total of forty five (45) suspects were arrested during the two electoral engagements. Two thousand, eight hundred and seventy (2,870) Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) were recovered in the course of police election security operations from various electoral offenders. Other recovered items include seven (7) weapons of violence including two (2) firearms, twenty eight (28) snatched Ballot Boxes, One (1) BVAS Machines and One (1) POS Machine being deployed for Vote Buying.’

‘Out of the cases under investigation, it is also on record that Lagos State was the first Command to conclude the investigation of the first sets of fourteen (14) eight electoral offences and promptly processed eight (8) to INEC for prosecution in line with the Electoral Act and the directives of the Inspector General of Police, while others involving unlawful possession of firearms and sundry criminal acts were charged to courts by the Police. Investigations into the remaining electoral offenses have reached advanced stages and as soon as they are concluded they will be similarly processed for prosecution in furtherance to efforts to sanitise our electoral space and discourage the resort to extra-legal means to attain political ends in future electoral engagements in the State. It must be highlighted that for our prompt efforts, the Lagos State Police Command has received commendations from the Inspector General of Police and local as well and international observers and other segments of the society.’

‘All these feats are attributable to one key factor, which is the dedication, loyalty, personal sacrifice, strength of character and professionalism which all of you here seated manifested, as well as the strategic leadership which all of you provided for personnel under your commands. Indeed, your exceptional professional performance has attracted the attention of the Inspector General of Police who has directed that his commendation and appreciation be conveyed to you all. For this exceptional performance, I commend you and say a big thank you for making the Inspector General of Police and the Force proud and for justifying why Lagos State Police Command is widely acclaimed as the first among others by all measurable professional standards’, Owohunwa concluded.