Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has, in the midst of rising insecurity, dismissed the calls for Nigerians to bear arms as a means of protecting themselves in the country.

The IGP, who harped on the need for peaceful coexistence and more dialogue, warned that such an approach would only escalate violence and deepen instability across the country.

He stated this Wednesday at the second Nigeria democracy week organised by the National Democracy Stakeholders Group (NDSG) on behalf of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, in Abuja.

Represented by the Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ajao Adewale, Egbetokun noted that widespread civilian access to firearms is not the solution to Nigeria’s multifaceted security crisis.

He noted that there has been an appeal by some prominent figures to the Federal Government to allow Nigerians to bear arms to defend themselves, particularly in the wake of the recent attacks in Benue and Plateau States which left many dead.

But responding to the calls, the IGP maintained that violence cannot be used to solve violence, while emphasising that true security must extend beyond the absence of crime to encompass the protection of rights, welfare and economic empowerment of citizens, in line with Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution.

“We need to learn from the countries that have allowed such. To what extent will this solve the problem? You cannot solve violence through violence. You solve violence by advocating for peace. Weapon is not the solution. Dialogue, tolerance and accommodating each other are the ways forward,” he said.

On electoral security, the IGP dismissed claims that the police assist in election rigging, describing such allegations as a figment of the imagination of naysayers.

He stated that the police’s role during elections is strictly limited to providing security and ensuring peaceful conduct.

According to him, “We are not partisan. We are like umpires. The duty of the police is limited and restricted to the profession of security during the election year. As much as we remain on that, we can’t vote. People vote, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) count. We monitor.

“And that is our situation, and the way forward is that there has been a renewed synergy, inter-agency collaboration, involving even the state government, the INEC, the civil societies, including training and retraining of officers to ensure that they stay on their mandate.”

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