IGP ALKALI WARNS POLITICIANS, MEDIA INTERNATIONAL GROUPS AGAINST SECURITY BREACH, SAYS MAY 29 INAUGURATION IS SACROSANCT
By Oki Samson, Trek Africa Newspaper
IGP Usman Alkali Baba
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba has addressed on politicians and international bodies to resist been used to cause security breach towards the May 29 Inauguration Day. The IGP gave the warning at a press briefing yesterday in Abuja.
IGP Baba noted: ‘The Nigeria Police hereby sternly warns all political actors with subversive agenda and their collaborators, particularly, their foot soldiers who they are exposing to political radicalization and extremism to, henceforth, jettison their on-going premeditated attempts to create tension within the national space with intention of derailing the 29th May 2023 Presidential Inauguration Ceremony. Any such persons, regardless of their political
affiliations who continuously engages in acts that are inimical to our nation’s democratic and security interests should not be in doubt on the firm determination of the Nigeria Police under my watch to closely collaborate with the law enforcement family and the intelligence community to defend our democracy, keep the internal security order stable and optimally deploy our common unique assets towards
guaranteeing the successful conduct of the Presidential Inauguration
Ceremony.’
‘We note that the Inauguration Ceremonies at all the national and State levels of government are a critical constitutional requirement for the sustenance of our political order as a nation and the Nigeria Police is duty and legally bound to defend our democratic
heritage and closely police the constitutional processes. Consequently, I assure the citizens that our loyalty to our democratic and political order remains firm and unwavering. We will defend our democracy at all costs. The 29th May, 2023 date for the swearing-in
ceremony of the President-elect of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and
indeed, other inauguration ceremonies at national and State levels is sacrosanct’, National Association of Online Security News Publishers, NAOSNP gathered.
‘The constitutional mandates of the Nigeria Police include the security governance of the processes leading to the inauguration of elected candidates at all levels and the guarantee for the successful conduct of the inauguration events. We shall undertake this task
optimally and manifestly. Anybody that stands in the way will be identified, promptly isolated, and brought to deserved justice in the overriding interest of our national security and stable political order. Consequently, citizens are encouraged to be mindful of the antics of political elements who may want to manipulate their political passion to advance parochial, undemocratic, and unconstitutional objectives. They should resist such, go about their lawful businesses and prepare to be part of the advancement of our democratic journey as patriotic citizens by freely participating in the inauguration ceremonies, assured that the Nigeria Police have acquired adequate assets to guarantee their protection. They are also encouraged to promptly report any attempts by the misguided political elements to infiltrate their ranks and engender political
tension in the country for appropriate law enforcement response.’
‘The international community is, similarly, encouraged not to be
swayed by the ill-informed actions of unpatriotic political actors who may be creating false red flags through the social media. They are assured that our democracy remains firmly on course, the country’s security order remains stable, and the Presidential inauguration will hold as scheduled under a very peaceful atmosphere.’
‘On a conclusive note, I wish to, particularly, appeal to media
practitioners to also be weary of the intents of these political gladiators and resist the urge to deploy their credible media outlets to advance their destabilization plots. Nigeria remains our national heritage and working together, we should continue to advance and place her interests over and above parochial personal or group interests’, IGP Alkali Baba concluded.
