Kayode Egbetokun, Inspector-General of Police, has ordered watertight security to guarantee peaceful, free, and credible polls ahead of the bye-elections scheduled to take place across 13 states of the federation on Saturday, 16 August 2025.
The police chief has deployed senior officers and tactical teams to oversee the process, while also outlining strict movement restrictions and a ban on VIP escorts to safeguard the integrity of the elections.
In a statement issued from the Force Headquarters in Abuja, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, Force Public Relations Officer, said the police chief has ordered Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs) and Commissioners of Police (CPs) to provide close supervision of the electoral process in the affected states.
They will be supported by specialised units, including the Police Mobile Force, Special Intervention Squad, Force Intelligence Department, and other tactical teams.
To further strengthen election security, the IGP directed a restriction of all vehicular movement, including on roads and waterways, from midnight to 6:00 p.m. on election day within affected local government areas.
However, essential service providers such as officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), accredited journalists, election observers, ambulances, and firefighters will be exempted from the movement restriction.
The IGP also emphasised a strict ban on security aides and escorts attached to VIPs and politicians, warning that they would not be allowed to accompany their principals to polling units or collation centres.
“In addition, state-owned security outfits, quasi-security groups, and privately-owned guards have been prohibited from taking part in election security operations,” he added.
The Inspector-General of Police also charged all officers deployed for this special duty to ensure compliance with NPF standard operational protocols for elections.
He further urged all citizens to be law-abiding during and after the elections, assuring them that all necessary security arrangements have been put in place to ensure their right to vote is unobstructed.
The police leadership reaffirmed its commitment to impartiality and professionalism while assuring Nigerians that any attempt to disrupt the electoral process would be decisively dealt with.
