2015: Police, SSS to screen out politicians with criminal records

THE Inspector General of Police (IGP), Suleiman Abba, on Wednesday vowed to collaborate with the State Security Service (SSS) to screen out politicians with criminal records from 2015 general election. The IGP, who disclosed this at a meeting with top police officers, including DIGs, AIGs, and state command Commissioners of Police in Abuja, on Wednesday, said that as 2015 general election was getting closer, the Nigeria Police had concluded all security arrangements to provide enabling environment for free and fair elections. He, however, warned that all politicians vying for one office or the other should be ready to accept defeat in good faith or use legal and letigimate process in presenting their grievances and that any one that would want to take the laws into his hand would be fiercely resisted by the police. He also announced that among the 20 policemen missing after the attack Goza had returned. According to Abba, “the unfortunate incident in Goza is still being felt by all of us. I personally sleep and wake with the problem. “The problem is that we are still making efforts to locate some of our colleagues, who got missing after the attack. What is promising is that even on Monday, we received information that one of them has surfaced. If I knew that you will still ask, I would have come up with his name. On the 2015 election, the IGP said: “We urged the contestants to play the game according to the rules and to also accept loss where the lose; a winner must emerge. Once he emerges, the loser must accept loss. “We have made adequate arrangements to make sure that the police provide sufficient security to all the activities leading to the general election. These activities have started, including registration of voters, the primaries elections, selection of candidates and screening, conventions by the parties and many others. “When it gets to the issue of screening, we will collaborate with our colleagues, particularly the Directorate of SSS to ensure that candidates with criminal records are not allowed to contest.”