By Ayodele Popoola

As part of efforts to ensure a smooth, fair, and credible election, the Nigeria Police Force, Ondo State Command, has commenced the training of no fewer than 500 personnel on election security management.

The training aims to equip and prepare the officers for handling and covering the November 16 governorship election in the state.

While declaring the training open in Akure on Tuesday, the State Commissioner of Police, Oladipo Peter Abayomi, stated that the exercise is intended to ensure that all officers are fully aware of their responsibilities and roles in election matters and to refresh their understanding of election security as it pertains to their statutory duties.

Abayomi revealed that the training is part of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun’s initiatives to ensure that officers of all ranks across the state are well prepared for the election.

He emphasized that it would enable the officers to familiarise themselves with these essential duties.

The CP said, “We are here to learn and refresh our understanding of election security as it pertains to our statutory duties, which include interactions with officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), handling election materials, and our duty to the voters.

“This two-day programme will cover, in depth, the statutory roles of the police during elections as defined in the Electoral Act of 2022. It will also emphasise human rights and other day-to-day policing responsibilities.

“Officers are expected to familiarise themselves with these essential duties, even though the material isn’t new for most of us. We held a training session two weeks ago, and this is just one of several programmes organised in anticipation of the elections,” he said.

Abayomi called on the trainees to take full advantage of the training, advising that in the course of performing their constitutional duties, they should be mindful of what they must and must not do.

Also speaking, Johnson Ateghie, the Managing Consultant of GTA Consulting, the firm handling the training, noted that the training is intended to ensure that officers deployed to supervise election security, along with other stakeholders, are aligned in their objectives. He emphasised that officers should discharge their duties without fear, bias, discrimination, or intimidation.

Ateghie said the training would provide clarity on what is expected of the officers, highlighting their responsibility to ensure that the outcome of the election is free from violence.

He stressed that the training aims to further strengthen the capacity of officers to assure voters and stakeholders that there will be a level playing field by providing impartial security for everyone.

One of the facilitators, Joseph C. Elue, disclosed that the trainees would be taken through topics including discipline, the code of conduct for police officers posted for election duties, roadblock stop-and-search procedures, rescue operations, use of force, crowd control, and dispersal, among others.

Elue said the training would remind the officers of the code of conduct and characteristics that are essential in their daily operations.

He added, “It will help the officers maintain neutrality and keep the process safe with integrity so that the election outcome is acceptable to all parties and ensures that the image of the police is enhanced rather than diminished.”