The Lagos State Commissioner of Police (CP), Imohimi Edgal, has ordered police officers to shoot hoodlums found with guns during the general elections.
Edgal, who gave the order at a meeting of Inter-Agency Consultative Forum on election yesterday, said policemen in the state should use proportional and appropriate force to arrest anyone in possession of firearms.
He also disclosed that over 1000 permanent voter cards (PVCs) had been retrieved from foreigners by men of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and the police.
At the meeting, which was attended by heads of all security agencies in the state and the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Edgal called on the people of Lagos to desist from engaging in any acts capable of disrupting the electoral process.
He said the command had put security measures in place to ensure a peaceful process before, during and after the elections.
“We have learnt from what happened the other time during a rally and henceforth anybody going into any political rally will be thoroughly searched.
“I have ordered my Area Commanders and Divisional Police Offices (DPOs) in the state that henceforth, they should use proportional and appropriate force including the use of firearms to ensure that anybody found with weapons in any political gathering should be arrested, demobilised and the firearms seized,” he said.
He added that everybody should caution their young ones and wards not to be used by anybody or politician as thugs because the consequences will be very dire.
