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IGP Kayode Egbetokun says allowing Nigerians to carry arms will escalate insecurity
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He calls for dialogue, not violence, to solve security challenges.
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Police reaffirm neutrality in elections, deny involvement in rigging.
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has warned that allowing citizens to bear arms will worsen insecurity in Nigeria.
Egbetokun made this known in Abuja at the second Nigeria Democracy Week organised by the National Democracy Stakeholders Group in collaboration with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
He was represented at the event by the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Federal Capital Territory, Ajao Adewale.
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The police chief said the idea of arming citizens is not a solution to the country’s security problems.
He said that using violence to solve violence would only lead to more chaos.
“We need to learn from countries that have allowed such. You cannot solve violence through violence. Weapon is not the solution. Dialogue, tolerance, and accommodating each other is the way forward,” he said.
Egbetokun also dismissed claims that the police play a role in election rigging.
He said the role of the police during elections is to provide security and ensure a peaceful process.
“We are not partisans. We are like umpires. The duty of the police is limited to the provision of security. We can’t vote. People vote. INEC counts. We monitor,” he added.
He said there is now stronger collaboration among the police, INEC, civil society groups, and other government agencies, including the training and retraining of officers
Also speaking at the event, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, said the reforms introduced by President Bola Tinubu are building the foundation for long-term national stability and economic growth.
Akume, who was represented by Nadungu Gagare, Permanent Secretary for Political and Economic Affairs in the SGF’s office, said the administration has made bold policy changes in key sectors.
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He said the SGF’s office has focused on aligning government policies with national development goals and improving coordination across sectors.
The Chairman of the National Democracy Stakeholders Group, Dr Kletsaint Akor, said the mid-term period should be used to demand accountability from government.
He called for reforms that would make Nigeria’s elections more credible.
“We must reimagine an electoral system where every vote counts and every citizen trusts the process. Without electoral legitimacy, governance becomes performative,” he said.
He urged the federal government to give INEC funding independence, appoint commissioners transparently, and impose strict penalties for electoral malpractice.
