Police, community leaders to check election violence

The Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police coordinating the 2019 general elections in Lagos State, David Folarinwo, has said the force would strengthen its security plans to ensure a hitch-free election for the people living in the state. This is coming after the presidential and House of Representatives elections which was held on the 23 February.

There were pockets of crisis in parts of the Lagos state during the last including snatching of ballot boxes. In the Okota area of the state hoodlums had attempted to snatch the ballot boxes resulting to disruption of the voting process.

In a town hall meeting with the communities in the area including the Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo communities at the palace of Osolo of Isolo, His Royal Majesty (HRM), Kabiru Agbabiaka, while dismissing the rumour of death as false the AIG said the police would provide additional security to the state to ensure a peaceful outing in the governorship election scheduled to hold on the 9th of March.

“We don’t have any problem with the community leaders but we need their assistance, we want them to assume leadership and let the people know that you are working for them, they should lower their gas, go and vote peacefully”, we are expecting very peaceful outing in the next election, he added.

The Lagos state Commissioner of Police, Muazu Zubairo, said the town hall meeting strengthen the relationship the police and the communities. “It’s going to tell our followers that we are all one and all we need is peace, we are here for everybody, we assure you we are going to give the necessary security for safe and secure environment in the remaining election”, he stated.

Eze Ndigbo of Lagos State and Chairman, Igbo Council of Ndieze, Lagos State, Christian Uchechukwu Nwachukwu, agreed the meeting was necessary to ensure peace was restored among the people of community and to forestall future electoral violence in the area

According to him, the police stepping into the matter had reposed confidence in the people. We have a lot to gain from your coming and the advice you have given us we will take back home to the people so that peace could reign in our community.

The community is peaceful, that’s why all of us live here together, we have our children here, and we have our businesses here why we should fight ourselves, he asked. “We didn’t come here to talk about who is right and who is wrong, election has come and gone, wherever the mistake comes from it’s we that will address the mistakes”, he stated.

There was a disagreement, and there was a problem, we have come here to resolve it, and we have talked with one mind that everyone should go home and talk to his people, “so it’s about peace, peace for the Yorubas, the Igbo and the Hausas so that we can live together”, Nwachukwu expressed.

He agreed there should be consultation before, during and after election among the people with the host community. We have agreed that from time to time we should be meeting to discuss our problems for the common good of everyone.

According to the Isolo Local Government Chairman, Samsudeen Adeye, “The communities had lived together for a long time and whatever is being done whether as a group of people or as an individual that would endanger the peace of the people should be dropped”. Adding “Police will not enforce peace, but we have to work for it within ourselves”.

His Royal Majesty, Kabiru Agbabiaka warned nobody should take laws into his hands. He told the representatives of the community present to always bring their complaints with anybody to the palace or go to police and make your report. You cannot take the laws into your hands, and you cannot give judgment by yourself, if somebody snatched ballot boxes live it to the police to intervene, he added.

It’s true you have the right to vote any candidate of your choice but first of all let your people know that you don’t do things with force because we don’t want violence. I appeal to you to go back and tell your people that the love that had existed among us we should not lose it, the community is a peaceful one, he added.

We need your support and you need our own support, do not lose with confidence the host community it’s not supposed to be, we are not ready to make trouble with anybody, you too should not make trouble with anybody, I want you to go back and tell your people that they should embrace peace and harmony, we want to see you together.