IG of Police speaks on 2019 election, herdsmen killings

Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has declared that the
Force is ready for the 2019 general election.

He spoke in Lagos at the weekend during a book presentation.

"We are prepared for the elections. We have the men and we have the
equipment to carry out our duties successfully before, during and
after the elections", he said.

Idris noted that the country's security challenges would be contained
if Nigerians pursued true reconciliation and shunned inflammatory
comments.

"The challenges we are having with these herdsmen have gone down. In
Benue, we have 15 units on ground and I have been monitoring their
successes.

"I was in Benue and we have been having stakeholders' meetings and we
have been discussing.

"Based on that, people have been coming openly to state their problems
and it is through this that we can understand each other and reconcile
our differences.

"The role of traditional rulers in this reconciliation process cannot
be over-emphasised because most of them have the ears of their people.
When you have political disagreement in these communities, these
traditional rulers are handy.

"There are farmers/herders clashes, assassination for various reasons,
conflicts among the divergent communities, which often take dangerous
dimensions and occur along the fault lines of ethnic, religious,
regional and political differences.

"These challenges if not properly managed at the pace we are going,
coupled with inflammatory and inciting statements will tear this
country apart and drag us into unending crises.

"It is my conviction that when there is security, justice, peace and
reconciliation in any nation, civil strife will be avoided."