The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has warned political leaders against sponsoring thuggery and recruiting young Nigerians to perpetrate violence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Disu gave the warning through the Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory, CP Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, who represented him at the sixth edition of the Frontier Discourse Annual Public Lecture Series and Awards organised by Pacesetter Frontier Magazine in Abuja.
The IGP also received the Frontier Person Award at the event held on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at the Merit House, Abuja.
The IGP identified desperation for political power, sponsorship of political thugs, unemployment and a culture of impunity as major factors contributing to electoral violence in the country.
He expressed concern that young Nigerians recruited to attack political opponents were often abandoned by their sponsors after elections, while those financing the violence continued to enjoy political protection.
According to him, the growing acceptance of political violence in the country’s political system poses a serious threat to democratic development.
“These young people are often abandoned after elections, while those who sponsor the activities continue to enjoy political protection. This practice is unacceptable and must be collectively condemned,” he said.
Disu warned that the danger extended beyond individual incidents of violence, stressing that the normalisation of attacks during political campaigns and elections could gradually weaken society’s resistance to democratic abuses.
“The greatest danger is not merely the occurrence of these incidents, but the gradual normalisation of such behaviour. When political violence becomes an accepted feature of political campaigns, elections, and governance, society begins to lose its sensitivity to democratic abuses,” he said.
He urged young Nigerians to resist attempts by politicians to use them as instruments of violence, noting that they could face the consequences of their actions long after their sponsors had moved on.
The police chief also called on political leaders to avoid inflammatory statements and political thuggery, while urging political parties to strengthen internal democracy and embrace issue-based campaigns.
He assured Nigerians that the police would continue to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to prevent electoral violence and safeguard the electoral process.