The Zone 2 Headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force, Onikan, Lagos, has commenced a one day capacity building programme aimed at strengthening professionalism, neutrality and inter agency collaboration ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The training, organised in collaboration with the Institute for Police and Security Policy Research, was held on Monday, August 31, 2026, at the M.D. Abubakar Hall, Zone 2 Headquarters, Onikan, Lagos.
The programme was themed, “Professionalism, Neutrality and Collaboration: Strengthening Election Security for Safe and Credible Elections.”
Declaring the event open, retired Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Ojukwu, said the training was designed to prepare security personnel to discharge their responsibilities professionally before, during and after the elections.
Ojukwu said the initiative followed the approval of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu and was intended to ensure that personnel involved in the electoral process possessed the knowledge, competence, skills and discretion required for effective election security.
He stressed the need for security personnel to remain neutral and loyal to Nigeria rather than to any political party, candidate or individual.
According to him, the success of election security would also depend on the ability of the various security and law enforcement agencies to work together under a common national objective.
He urged participating agencies to strengthen collaboration and operate under the national interest, stressing that no single security agency could effectively manage the complex demands of election security alone.
In his welcome address, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG Olohundare Moshood Jimoh, said the gathering was convened to bring security and safety institutions together ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Jimoh said the Inspector General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, had approved the programme as part of efforts to ensure optimal security before, during and after the elections across the country.
He said the objective was not limited to the Zone 2 jurisdiction, comprising Lagos and Ogun States, but was intended to contribute to a broader national strategy for securing the 2027 electoral process.
The AIG said professionalism, neutrality and collaboration constituted the foundation for building public confidence in the Police, Armed Forces and other security and safety agencies involved in election duties.
He assured residents of Lagos and Ogun that security agencies operating under the Inter Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security would work together to provide a secure environment for campaigns, rallies and other political activities.
Jimoh noted that the Police and other security agencies had critical responsibilities throughout the electoral cycle, including the ongoing presidential and National Assembly campaigns and the forthcoming Governorship and State Houses of Assembly campaigns.
He said the Police would work closely with the Independent National Electoral Commission in line with the Electoral Act 2026 to protect INEC personnel, including permanent and ad hoc staff, NYSC members, electoral offices and sensitive and non sensitive electoral materials.
The AIG urged political parties, candidates and their supporters to play by the rules, noting that political activities within the Zone 2 jurisdiction had so far remained peaceful.
He directed security personnel operating under ICCES to be polite, civil and firm while enforcing the law, adding that professionalism must be demonstrated alongside respect for human rights and human dignity.
Jimoh also called on traditional rulers, community leaders and parents to help discourage young people from being recruited to cause violence or disrupt the electoral process.
He warned that the full weight of the law would be applied against individuals or groups that attempted to undermine the peaceful conduct of the 2027 elections.
The AIG equally appealed to the media to support the electoral process by disseminating accurate information, promoting peace and unity, and resisting attempts to use the media to spread misinformation or cause disorder.
Speaking on the purpose of the programme, the Director General of the Institute for Police and Security Policy Research, Dr Charles Omole, described election security as a fundamental requirement for the survival of democracy.
Omole said the one day training was designed to build the capacity of senior officers of Zone 2 and personnel from sister security agencies, with participants expected to cascade the knowledge gained to officers under their command.
He said preparation for election security should begin long before election day, stressing that effective pre election security planning would make election day operations more manageable.
Omole commended the Zone 2 leadership for initiating the programme and urged other police formations across the country to adopt similar capacity building initiatives ahead of the 2027 elections.
In a goodwill message, the Air Officer Commanding, Nigerian Air Force Logistics Command, Air Vice Marshal Abubakar Abdul Suleh, said free, fair, peaceful and credible elections were fundamental to Nigeria’s stability and development.
Suleh said security personnel must remain impartial, disciplined and restrained, stressing that their loyalty should be to the Constitution, the Nigerian state and the people rather than to political parties or candidates.
He added that where the Armed Forces were required to support civil authorities, such intervention must be lawfully requested and conducted within the framework of the Constitution and applicable laws.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner, INEC Lagos State, Professor Ayobami Salami, commended the initiative, saying the electoral commission depended on the Police as the lead agency for election security.
Salami shared an experience from the 2023 general election in Ekiti State in which a security officer carrying a ballot box away from a violent polling unit was mistaken by a mob for a ballot box snatcher and severely beaten.
He said the incident demonstrated the importance of proper training and briefing, stressing that security personnel must understand their responsibilities, protect electoral materials and, at the same time, avoid unnecessary risks to their lives.
Representing the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, Dr Ayodele Ogunsan, the Administrative Director, Mr Adegbola Lewis, expressed support for the training and reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to providing equipment, training and logistics for security agencies operating in Lagos.
Lewis said the Trust Fund’s regular inter agency training programmes reflected its belief in joint operations, professionalism and coordinated security planning.
Representing the Oba of Lagos, His Royal Majesty Oba Rilwan Babatunde Osuolale Aremu Akiolu I, the Eletu Odibo, Chief Ajibade Nosiru Ayeni, said traditional institutions remained important partners in maintaining peace and preventing violence in communities.
He commended the Nigeria Police Force for organising the training and called for continued emphasis on professionalism, neutrality, discipline, intelligence gathering and collaboration in securing the electoral process.
The stakeholders expressed confidence that sustained training, effective inter agency coordination and strict adherence to the law would strengthen public confidence and contribute to safe, peaceful and credible elections in 2027.
The Institute for Police and Security Policy Research (IPSPR) is an African research, training and capacity building institution committed to advancing professional policing, public safety, security governance and institutional resilience. Through evidence based research, policy analysis, specialised training and strategic advisory services, IPSPR supports police, security agencies, governments, academia, civil society and development partners in addressing emerging security challenges.
Its focus includes security sector reform, leadership, election security, community policing, intelligence led policing, public order management and conflict prevention. Guided by professionalism, integrity, accountability, neutrality, innovation and respect for human rights, IPSPR promotes stronger institutions, public trust, effective collaboration and sustainable national security across Africa.
The training brought together security, law enforcement and critical stakeholders from across the South-west, reflecting a broad inter agency approach to election security.
Participants included personnel from the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Federal Fire Service (FFS), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
Others were drawn from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), National Orientation Agency (NOA) and representatives of the media.
The participation of the various agencies and stakeholders underscored the importance of joint planning, effective coordination, information sharing and professionalism in ensuring a safe, peaceful and credible 2027 general election across the South-west.