Rivers re-run: Police lambasts INEC over indicting report

The Nigeria Police Force on Wednesday condemned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) report on the police during the Rivers legislative re-run election, describing it as a disservice to the police.

INEC in its 37-page report on the December 10 Rivers legislative re-run elections, indicted personnel of the police.

Reacting, Force spokesman, CSP Jimoh Moshood, said the report was misleading, adding that all the issues raised by the INEC were discovered by the Joint Investigative Panel set up by the police and had been dealt with accordingly.

“The story is, therefore, misleading, malicious and capable of misinforming members of the public on the statutory roles of the Nigeria Police Force in election security,” he noted.

He explained that after the violence that followed the election, the police acted promptly and proactively by setting up a joint investigative panel.

Moshood said that the panel in its reports indicted six police officers who were arrested, investigated, subjected to internal disciplinary measure and dismissed.

“Other agencies whose personnel were also indicted by the Joint Investigation Panel are expected to do the same to their personnel indicted in the report without any further delay,” he said.

He said that 23 INEC Electoral Officers and two Administrative officials who were also indicted by the panel had been granted bail and released to the Director of Human Resources, INEC Headquarters, Abuja.

Moshood pointed out that N111,300,000 million, part of the money allegedly given to them by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, was recovered from them.

“The Nigeria Police Force is apolitical and will not engage in any political partisanship, and will continue to ensure that election security is guaranteed across the country”, the statement concluded.