The Niger State Police Command, in collaboration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has trained its officers on election security management ahead of the 2027 general election, with emphasis on professionalism, impartiality and respect for human rights.
The training, held at the Police Officers’ Mess, Dutsen-Kura, Minna, was part of the command’s end-of-month general conference presided over by Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, Commissioner of Police, according to a statement issued by Abiodun Wasiu, the police public relations officer.
Speaking at the session, Dauda Haruna, INEC’s State Training Officer, said the police had a leading responsibility in election security management as co-chair of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).
He said that the police were expected to provide adequate security for voters, candidates, political party agents and electoral officials throughout the electoral process to safeguard the integrity of elections and strengthen public confidence in the democratic system.
Haruna, who spoke on the theme, ‘Professionalism, Impartiality and Accountability for a Peaceful, Safe and Credible Election,’ said security personnel must remain neutral and avoid any conduct capable of undermining the electoral process.
He explained that election security officers were required to enforce electoral laws, respond promptly to security incidents, make lawful arrests where necessary, preserve evidence, document electoral offences and maintain proper records, including the chain of custody of evidence.
The INEC official warned officers against partisan conduct, arbitrary arrests, provocative behaviour and actions based on rumours or unverified allegations.
He also urged them to prioritise effective crowd management, crisis de-escalation, responsible use of force and clear communication while ensuring the protection of all participants in the electoral process.
According to him, officers must respect human rights, avoid interference in the conduct of elections and operate strictly within their assigned mandates.
Haruna further clarified that the inspection and verification of electoral materials remained the responsibility of INEC and its authorised representatives, while police personnel were expected to provide security and protect the process within their operational responsibilities.
On handling misconduct at polling units, he explained that electoral officers were required to complete the prescribed *Authority to Remove Person from Polling Unit for Misconduct* form, duly signed by the Presiding Officer, where applicable.
He advised officers responding to such incidents to de-escalate tensions, listen to parties separately, prevent confrontations between opposing groups, protect stakeholders and preserve relevant evidence.
He also stressed the need for comprehensive incident reports and proper documentation of actions taken during election-related security operations.
The training also addressed electoral offences and their corresponding penalties under the Electoral Act 2026, as well as the responsibilities of Election Security Personnel before and after deployment.
Before deployment, officers were advised to attend operational briefings, understand their assignments and chain of command, familiarise themselves with relevant electoral laws, account for assigned personnel and equipment, and establish effective reporting and coordination channels with other security agencies.
After deployment, they were expected to participate in debriefings, submit accurate incident reports, account for personnel and equipment, hand over preserved evidence and document operational challenges and lessons learnt.
The INEC training officer also highlighted the introduction of Registration Area Centres (RACs) and Super Registration Area Centres (Super RACs) to address delays in the commencement of voting arising from the transportation of electoral materials over long distances.
He said the arrangements were designed to facilitate the timely movement of materials to polling units and ensure that voting commenced within the stipulated period.
He also introduced the Collation Support Result Verification System (CSRVS), a technical support mechanism designed to identify and address errors during the collation of election results to promote accuracy, transparency and accountability.
Responding, Elleman commended the INEC State Training Officer and the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the collaboration, assuring the commission of the command’s continued support towards ensuring peaceful and credible elections.
The police commissioner described training and retraining as a core policy of the command, saying sustained capacity building was necessary to strengthen professionalism and improve operational effectiveness.
He disclosed that further training on election security management was ongoing nationwide through the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (NPTF), adding that a training team would soon visit the Niger State Police Command to further equip officers ahead of the 2027 election.
Reviewing security developments during the month, Elleman directed officers to intensify surveillance patrols, strengthen intelligence gathering and ensure prompt intervention in addressing emerging security challenges.
He also directed officers to provide adequate security during political campaigns and submit timely reports on such activities to the command.
The police command noted the training formed part of efforts to strengthen preparedness, inter-agency cooperation and responsible conduct among security personnel before, during and after the 2027 general election.