The Kano State Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, has called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders to ensure peaceful, free, fair and credible conduct of the 2027 general elections.
Bakori made the call on Thursday while speaking as a panelist at a one-day stakeholders’ engagement on peaceful democratic participation organised by Mambayya House, Aminu Kano Centre for Democratic Studies, Bayero University Kano, in collaboration with Alhabibiyya Islamic Society, Abuja.
The engagement, held at the Sa’adu Zungur Auditorium, Mambayya House, Gwammaja, Kano, was themed: “Strengthening Electoral Engagement for Peaceful 2027 General Elections in Nigeria.”
Speaking on “Security Preparations Ahead of the 2027 General Elections,” Bakori said election security remained a constitutional responsibility of the Nigeria Police Force, assuring that the command had commenced strategic preparations for the elections.
He said the command was training and retraining its personnel on election security, rules of engagement and human rights, while strengthening collaboration with political parties, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations and the media.
According to him, the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) in Kano remained active and continued to meet periodically to harmonise security plans ahead of the elections.
Bakori said the command was also conducting intelligence-led operations to tackle political thuggery, arms proliferation and drug abuse, while public sensitisation against hate speech, fake news and vote buying was being intensified through radio, television and social media platforms.
On election-day security, the commissioner said an intelligence-driven deployment strategy had been developed to cover polling units, collation centres, INEC facilities and other vulnerable locations.
He assured that particular attention would be given to the protection of INEC personnel and election materials, warning that the command would not tolerate ballot box snatching or electoral violence.
Bakori added that Quick Response Teams would be deployed across the 44 local government areas of the state, while police personnel had been directed to remain apolitical, professional and neutral throughout the electoral process.
He further disclosed that security would be sustained at collation centres until the final declaration of results, with strategic deployments to identified hotspots to contain possible post-election tensions.
The commissioner said electoral offenders would be investigated and prosecuted, while post-election mop-up operations would continue to recover arms and ammunition used during the electoral process.
Bakori urged political parties to abide by electoral laws and restrain their supporters from acts capable of undermining peace.
He also appealed to the media to verify information before publication and avoid sensational reporting, while urging traditional and religious leaders to intensify peace advocacy across their communities.
The commissioner specifically called on youths to shun political thuggery and embrace peaceful participation, warning that violence could jeopardise their future.
“Your future is at stake,” he said, urging citizens to come out and vote peacefully and report suspicious activities to the police.
He gave the command’s contact numbers as 08032419754, 08123821575 and 09029292926.
Bakori assured residents that the Kano State Police Command, in collaboration with other security agencies under ICCES, was fully prepared for the 2027 general elections.
“We will secure the process. You secure the peace. Together, we will deliver credible elections in Kano,” he said.
The command reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining partnerships with civil society organisations, academic institutions and faith-based organisations to promote peaceful democratic participation in the state.