The Acting Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Adamu has promised to handle the forthcoming general elections in the country in a professional manner saying a level playing ground will be provided for all the candidates.
Adamu was decorated in his new rank by President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Accompanied by the former IGP, Ibrahim Idris, Adamu who is from Nassarawa State thanked President Buhari for finding him worthy of the position and promised to be professional in the discharge of his duties.
He said, “I want to thank Mr. President for considering me worthy to be the next Inspector General of Police. We know that there are security challenges that we need to tackle in the country.
“From the strategies put in place by the former IGP, we will restrategize and make sure that we tackle these challenges squarely.”
On what to expect during the forthcoming general elections, the acting IGP said, “On the elections, you have heard from the former IGP, adequate arrangement have been made to make sure that free and fair and credible elections take place in Nigeria.
“We are going to build up on the strategies put in place to make sure that we have hitch-free elections in the country.”
When also asked whether he was allaying the fears of the opposition that he would not be partisan, he said, “Well, we are professionals. We are going to stick by the rules.
“We are going to do the right thing; we will not go outside the ethics of our job to do things that are untoward. Everybody will be given level playing ground to play his or her politics.”
Also speaking, the former IGP Ibrahim Idris while speaking with State House correspondents said, “I want to inform Nigerians that today (Tuesday) I am 60 years and I think I have reached the pinnacle of my career.
“So I am going to handover to my successor, the incoming Inspector General of Police. He is an officer I know very well. We knew each other in the past, we have worked together and I wish him success.”
On his advice to the new Police boss, he said, “The advise I will give is that just like in our time, he should try to go round the country and adopt measures to ensure that the Nigerian Police Force give maximum protection to lives and property.”
Asked further on what were the major challenges Nigerian police were currently facing, he said, “I think so far under this government I think the Nigerian police force has been making a lot of effort to secure Nigerians.
“Obviously, challenges in the area of recruitment, of course you are aware that the government has just given us approval to recruit more people yearly, by the grace of God by this year the number of police officers is going to increase considerably.”
He said that the Police were adequately prepared for the elections, adding, “We have carried out a lot of elections in this country and I think you will agree with me that the Nigeria police force tried in these elections.
“I am assuring Nigerians that the Nigeria police force is going to do their best in the coming elections.”
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