Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has assured Nigerians that the 2027 general elections will be conducted in a safe and secure environment despite the country’s ongoing security challenges.
Disu gave the assurance in an interview with AFP, as Nigeria prepares for the January 2027 polls, when President Bola Tinubu is expected to seek re-election. His comments come amid concerns over election-related violence, jihadist insurgency and kidnapping, particularly in parts of northern Nigeria.
The police chief acknowledged the challenges surrounding election security but said the Nigeria Police Force was training its personnel to improve their capacity ahead of the polls.
“We will have safe and secure voting in the country,” Disu said, adding that officers were being trained “so that we improve our effort in bringing a perfect election in 2027”.
Nigeria has experienced violence during previous election cycles, with rights groups reporting cases involving political thuggery, intimidation of opponents and attacks linked to ethnic tensions.
Asked specifically about voting in parts of northern Nigeria affected by insurgency and kidnapping by armed bandit groups, Disu said eligible voters would be able to participate in the elections.
“Definitely people will be able to vote,” he said.
His assurance comes as some Nigerians have expressed concerns about travelling to their home communities, where they are registered to vote, because of insecurity.
Disu said the police were working with other security agencies, including the military, to improve security across the country before the elections.
“We are working with the military and other bodies to ensure that we bring peace to every part of the country,” he said.
The IGP also spoke about ongoing efforts to reform policing in Nigeria, including the proposed establishment of state-controlled police forces.
Violence has intensified in the country since 2024, with the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data project identifying banditry and jihadist attacks among the factors contributing to what it described as Nigeria’s most violent period in nearly three decades.
The proposed state police system, which would require a constitutional amendment, is being promoted by the Federal Government as part of efforts to improve security and make policing more responsive to local conditions.
Disu said the Nigeria Police Force supported the initiative and had participated in developing the framework for state police.
“We are in support of state police,” he said. “We assisted in creating the framework.”
Supporters argue that state police could respond more quickly to local security threats and improve accountability by using personnel familiar with the communities they serve. Critics, however, have raised concerns that powerful state governors could use such forces against political opponents and dissenting voices.
Disu said the federal police would continue to have an oversight role, while training would be standardised across the country.
“If anything that is not supposed to happen starts happening within the state police, measures have been put in place to correct it immediately,” he said.
Disu, who assumed office in March, also disclosed plans to increase the strength of the federal police from just under 300,000 officers to about 350,000, following a presidential directive.
He said the force would resume regular recruitment, noting that the pace of recruitment had fallen under previous administrations. The move is expected to strengthen police capacity in a country where both the police and military face significant manpower pressures, particularly in rural communities.
The IGP also highlighted efforts to improve the use of technology in policing. He said 25 officers were currently undergoing specialised training as part of a drone team, while the force was using artificial intelligence to analyse data and identify security trends.
“We know where we are expecting banditry. We know insurgency. We know where robberies will go on,” Disu said.
Despite the reforms, the police continue to face public distrust, partly because of longstanding concerns over corruption, police misconduct and the force’s ability to respond effectively to rising insecurity.
Disu has called on Nigerians to report misconduct by officers but defended the force against criticism over recent security failures. He said police personnel were working under difficult conditions and paying a heavy price in the line of duty.
“We are losing officers daily,” the IGP told AFP.
