Police train officers in Jigawa and Lagos ahead of 2027 elections
- Jigawa police ended a five-day election security training in Dutse on Friday, organised by the Nigeria Police Trust Fund.
- Lagos police said their officers took the same training from October 26 to 30, alongside officers from other units.
- Both commands say the training focused on professionalism, neutrality and respect for human rights.
The Nigeria Police Trust Fund (NPTF) has rounded off a five-day election security training for police officers in two states, as the force prepares for the 2027 general elections.
In Jigawa, the programme ended on Friday with a closing ceremony at the Manpower Development Institute in Dutse, the state capital. In Lagos, the command said its officers took part in the same training from Monday, October 26, to Friday, October 30, 2026.
The training is meant to help officers keep the peace, protect voters and prevent violence around political activities before, during and after the elections.
What the officers were taught
According to the Lagos State Police Command, the sessions covered professionalism, political neutrality, impartiality, respect for human rights, crowd management, cooperation among security agencies and obedience to the rule of law.
The Lagos training drew mainly officers of the state command, along with personnel from the FCID Annex Lagos, Zone 2 Headquarters, the Special Fraud Unit and the Special Protection Unit. The command's spokesperson, Abimbola Adebisi, announced it in a statement on Saturday.
In Jigawa, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, was represented at the closing ceremony by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Finance and Administration, DCP Abdullahi S. Wase, who stood in for the state Commissioner of Police, CP Tijjani Murtala.
Wase told the officers that the value of the programme would depend on how well they use what they learnt on duty. He said officers must show professionalism, impartiality, discipline and respect for human rights, noting that public confidence in the neutrality of security agencies would matter in 2027.
He also asked participants to pass the lessons on to colleagues who did not attend, so the whole command benefits.
Professor Mustapha Hussaini of the Federal University Dutse reviewed the training modules, and certificates were presented to officers who completed the programme.
Why it matters
Nigerians have repeatedly raised concerns about the conduct of security personnel during elections, from voter intimidation to partiality. Police leaders say this training is meant to address those fears.
The Lagos command said the exercise was part of efforts to keep residents and their property safe and to create an environment where citizens can vote peacefully. Its Commissioner of Police, Tijani Olaiwola Fatai, thanked the IGP and the NPTF for the opportunity.
The Jigawa command said it remains committed to a peaceful, secure and violence-free election through what it called impartial, professional and human-rights-based policing.
Neither command gave the number of officers trained or the cost of the programme.
What happens next
With the 2027 general elections still ahead, more commands are expected to run similar exercises as the police and other agencies step up preparations. The test will be how officers apply the training on the ground when campaigns and voting begin.
