As the 2023 general election draws closer with campaigns opening in September, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has said it cannot provide personal security guard to every candidate contesting election.

The NPF, in an interview with its Public Relations Officer, CSP Muyiwa Adejobi, said certain factors must be considered before allocating police to candidates.

According to him, threat analysis, status, and personality are some factors considered before deploying officers to protect people.

Adejobi said: “It depends on your personality, your status and the threat analysis conducted on you and if you are prone to any attack. It’s not for every Tom, Dick and Harry. It is not statutory that every candidate must get police protection.

“There are some individuals who are officially entitled to police protection and this is not negotiable.

“However, we still have some VIPs, who are to be protected by virtue of their personalities and statuses, which make them vulnerable or prone to attacks. Hence, we are duty-bound to provide security around them.”

The police spokesperson said protecting candidates and VIPs are part of securing the society.

Adejobi said: “Be reminded that this security arrangement is indirectly a sort of general security for them, people around them and their communities.

“So, the protection around them doesn’t affect our efficiency and quality service delivery in any way.”

According to the PPRO, there is surge in request for guards from politicians as political activities intensify toward the election.

“We have been receiving applications for police escort and guard on a regular basis even before we commenced the electioneering, and we will continue to receive applications, but we will be attending to them on their merit. No automatic approvals for applications or applicants as the case may be.

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“We definitely expect to have more applications from politicians since the election activities have commenced, but we tend to intensify our security networking in terms of general security and public safety rather than individual protection. Hence, we are working towards the general security and public safety of Nigeria and Nigerians,” he added.

Adejobi, however, said it might be difficult to state the number of requests for police protection received so far but that the surge might be linked to the upcoming campaigns and the 2023 elections.

“I don’t have the statistics for now because the requests will continue to come from various angles to the office of the IG, but generally there is an increase because most of the new candidates would want to have police protection.

”I know there is an increase, especially now that they will commence their campaigns very soon,” Adejobi stated.

The Nigeria Police Force faces serious challenge as the country is grappling with terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and other criminal activities.

With the requests from politicians heading for elections, the police will be overstretched in their quest to protect lives and properties in the country.

Adejobi explained that certain persons were by virtue of their statuses and personalities entitled to police protection, but that despite the spike in the requests, the police would consider each application on its merit and continuously work towards general security for public safety.

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Members of the National Assembly, a few weeks ago, threatened to remove President Muhammadu Buhari from office unless he addressed Nigeria’s security problems.

The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu, was reported to have advised his colleagues, saying: “I want to beg members; Abuja is no longer safe; please, if possible, go back to your constituencies. This place is so insecure.”

The dreaded Boko Haram terrorists also attacked Kuje Medium Correctional Facility and freed its members and other criminals.

Gunmen also attacked some personnel of the Nigerian Army Presidential Guards Brigade, killing some officers in the process.

The Star