It is sad and disheartening that the new Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu is a new wine in an old wine bottle.

His statement tries unsuccessfully to defend the arrests of PDP senatorial candidates in Kwara and Kano on the pretext that they were involved in political violence that involved loss if lives.

Yes in a situation of this nature Police can apprehend anyone and bring them in for questioning, but essentially they remain suspects in the face of the law. Being suspects all their rights remain intact and inviolable.

Therefore nothing should be done to preclude them from exercising their inalienable right to vote or be voted for.

They should be made to make preliminary statements and immediately released on bail. Anything short of this is tantamount to political victimisation and persecution. In 2019 Nigeria ought to have gone beyond this level.

Murder cases require intense and diligent investigations, and this takes time.

The IG is a high breed police officer who has practiced policing in very civilized climes. He is reputed to have held the very exalted and distinguished post of deputy commandant of INTERPOLE in France.

He must of necessity and commitment to patriotism, rise above the crude shenanigans of out recent and inglorious past.

This has been the same story every election regardless of the political party in power.

The police is one of the machines called "federal might". Its function is to crush the opposition during this period.

Ok