Nigeria 2027 vote will be secure, police chief says

Nigeria's police chief Olatunji Disu said the country's January national elections would be safe and secure, despite election-season violence, a jihadist insurgency and a kidnapping crisis.

President Bola Tinubu is seeking re-election in the vote. Past Nigerian elections have been affected by violence, and rights groups say politicians have recruited thugs to intimidate opponents and silence dissenting views.

Asked about voting in northern areas hit by jihadist violence and kidnapping by armed bandit gangs, Disu told AFP: “Definitely people will be able to vote.” He said police were working with the military and other bodies to bring peace across the country.

Disu also said the police support proposals to create police forces managed independently by Nigeria's 36 states, a change that would require a constitutional amendment. Supporters say state forces would be more responsive, while critics fear powerful governors could use them against opponents and dissenting voices.

The federal police, which has just under 300,000 officers, aims to expand to about 350,000 after a presidential directive, Disu said. He also said 25 people are undergoing specialised drone team training and that police are using artificial intelligence to analyse security trends.