Katsina Police vow to arrest sponsors, perpetrators of political violence

The Police Command in Katsina State has warned politicians sponsoring political violence ahead of the 2027 elections that they will be identified, investigated and arrested.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr Ali Umar-Fage, gave the warning on Thursday in a speech delivered at the commemoration of the 2026 International Youth Day in Katsina.

The event, attended by youths, security agencies, traditional institutions and civil society organisations, was held under the theme: “Same Different Contexts, Common Aspirations.”

Newsmen report that the Umar-Fage was represented by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP Aminu Usman-Gusau.

Umar-Fage said the warning applied to all political actors, irrespective of their political affiliation, and cautioned youths against allowing themselves to be recruited as instruments of violence.

He urged them to reject inducements offered by political actors to disrupt rallies, intimidate opponents or interfere with the electoral process.

The commissioner said the approach of the 2027 general elections required greater vigilance, particularly as young people remained vulnerable to recruitment for political violence and other forms of criminality.

He said the command had launched a campaign tagged: “My Future Is Greater Than Politics”, aimed at discouraging political violence, electoral thuggery, digital manipulation and youth exploitation.

“As we approach the year of general elections, a three-pronged threat jeopardising our peaceful aspirations faces us: the twin menace of physical political thuggery and digital thuggery,” he said.

Umar-Fage described political thuggery as “structured self-sabotage”, warning youths against accepting short-term financial rewards, illicit substances or other incentives from politicians to perpetrate violence.

“Political thuggery is not winning; it is structured self-sabotage,” he said.

The police commissioner said political sponsors often abandoned youths after elections, leaving them to face the consequences of the violence they were recruited to perpetrate.

“Those who recruit young men and women to resort to violence will never deploy their own children to the front line of conflict. When the electoral cycle ends, these sponsors move on,” he said.

He also raised concern over the growing use of social media for what he described as “digital thuggery”, including cyber harassment, coordinated hate speech, targeted blackmail, misinformation and manipulation of political narratives.

“We will not allow your smartphones and social media handles to become instruments of national destruction,” Umar-Fage warned.

He urged youths to verify information before sharing it online and reject inflammatory political content, stressing that digital platforms should instead be used to promote innovation, entrepreneurship and economic development.

The commissioner said that the command’s cybercrime units and intelligence personnel were monitoring public digital spaces and would take appropriate action against individuals involved in online hate speech, electoral disinformation and cyber harassment.

He disclosed that the command had established a Police Youth Dialogue to strengthen engagement between the police and young people on security, crime prevention, public trust and responsible citizenship.

According to him, the police would maintain a strict zero-tolerance policy towards electoral violence and other criminal activities before, during and after the 2027 elections.

“The command will identify, investigate and arrest any individual, regardless of political affiliation, who finances, incites or equips people for political violence,” he said.

Umar-Fage urged youths to recognise their importance to the development of Katsina and Nigeria, noting that their aspirations for employment, security, quality education, technological advancement and improved infrastructure could only be achieved in a peaceful environment.

“The general election is an opportunity to express democratic choice, not an arena for conflict,” he said.

The commissioner called on young people to reject attempts to weaponise them for political purposes and channel their energy towards productive activities.

“You are the present engine and future leadership of the state and the nation. Refuse to be weapons in the hands of misguided elements.

“Let us commit to peace on the street, responsibility on the internet and integrity in the political arena,” he said.