The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has urged the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to strengthen measures to protect persons with disabilities and guarantee their participation in the 2027 general elections.

The commission said electoral security arrangements must address the specific challenges faced by voters with disabilities, including intimidation, inaccessible polling units, communication barriers and threats of violence.

INEC Chairman, Professor Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, made the appeal on Friday during a high-level technical engagement on disability-inclusive election security and protection protocols in Abuja.

The meeting, held at the Abuja Inter-Continental Hotel, brought together security agencies, the European Union, TAF Africa, organisations of persons with disabilities and other stakeholders to develop strategies for safer and more accessible elections.

Amupitan said the success of an election should be measured not only by the conduct of voting but also by whether all eligible citizens could exercise their rights without fear or discrimination.

“The credibility of our elections depends not only on the voting process but also on the ability of every eligible citizen to participate freely, safely and without discrimination,” he said.

He warned that persons with disabilities remained vulnerable to obstacles that could restrict their participation and called for stronger safeguards against harassment, intimidation and insecurity.

“Persons with disabilities must be protected against intimidation, harassment, insecurity and other barriers that could prevent them from exercising their franchise,” the INEC chairman said.

Amupitan identified the 1999 Constitution, as amended, the Electoral Act 2026 and the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 among the legal instruments supporting inclusive electoral participation.

He also cited Nigeria’s obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and INEC’s 2026 Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections, which provide for priority access, assistance and appropriate voting materials for persons with disabilities.

The chairman urged the police to maintain professionalism and impartiality while ensuring that security operations did not undermine the dignity or independence of voters requiring assistance.

“Appropriate assistance must preserve the dignity, independence, privacy and freedom of choice of voters with disabilities,” he said.

He called for disability-related concerns to be integrated into security assessments, personnel training, deployment plans and emergency-response procedures before election day.

According to him, such preparations should include identifying polling locations that are difficult to access, areas prone to congestion, potential security flashpoints and communication challenges that could prevent voters from casting their ballots.

Amupitan also advocated improved cooperation among INEC, the police and other security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES.

He said the collaboration should facilitate timely information-sharing, clarify the responsibilities of participating agencies and ensure swift responses to emerging security threats.

The INEC chairman listed the development of clear disability-inclusive security protocols, specialised training for police officers, accessible incident-reporting channels and continuous engagement with organisations of persons with disabilities among the measures required ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has urged the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to strengthen cooperation to guarantee the safe and unhindered participation of persons with disabilities, PWDs, in the 2027 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, made the appeal on Friday, October 23, 2026, during a high-level technical engagement on disability-inclusive election security and protection protocols at the Abuja Inter-Continental Hotel.

The meeting, themed “Securing the Vote for All: Advancing Inclusive, Safe and Rights-Based Electoral Participation Ahead of the 2027 General Elections,” was attended by representatives of the police and other security agencies, the European Union, TAF Africa, organisations of persons with disabilities and other stakeholders.

Amupitan said credible elections required more than an efficient voting process, stressing that every eligible Nigerian must be able to exercise their franchise freely, safely and without discrimination.

He noted that voters with disabilities must be shielded from intimidation, harassment, insecurity and other obstacles that could deny them the opportunity to participate in the electoral process.

The INEC chairman identified the 1999 Constitution, as amended; the Electoral Act 2026; the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018; and Nigeria’s commitments under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as legal frameworks supporting inclusive elections.

He also drew attention to Clauses 19, 21, 27 and 28 of INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections 2026, which provide for priority access, appropriate assistance and assistive voting materials for voters with disabilities.

On security arrangements, Amupitan highlighted the responsibility of the Nigeria Police Force to maintain public order, protect lives and property, prevent electoral violence and ensure a safe environment for the conduct of elections.

He urged security personnel to uphold professionalism, impartiality and sensitivity in their interactions with people with different disabilities. He added that assistance provided to voters must respect their dignity, independence, privacy and freedom to make their own choices.

According to him, disability inclusion should be incorporated into election security planning, personnel training, deployment strategies and incident-response procedures well ahead of Election Day.

He further called for security assessments to identify potential challenges, including inaccessible polling units, overcrowding, possible flashpoints and communication barriers that could hinder voters with disabilities.

Amupitan also stressed the importance of stronger collaboration among INEC, the police and other security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES.

He said effective information-sharing, clearly defined responsibilities and timely responses to emerging threats would be critical to protecting voters.

Former Turkish referee, Ahmet Çakar has rejected the choice of Victor Osimhen as the Man of the Match after Galatasaray’s win over Lille.

He said that there are three other players who deserve the award more than Osimhen, having made more contributions.

The Nigerian forward registered his first goal against the French club, netting Galatasaray’s fourth goal in their 4-2 victory at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

Following his excellent performance against Lille, Osimhen received the Man of the Match award in acknowledgment of his exceptional contribution to the Yellow-Reds.

During an appearance on the BTV YouTube channel, Çakar said he had concerns regarding the selection, highlighting Barış Alper Yılmaz, Batrakov, and Yunus Akgün as players who deserved consideration for the award.

“It’s unfair that Osimhen was chosen as man of the match,” Çakar said, via habersarikirmizi.

“Osimhen didn’t play badly, but there are Barış Alper Yılmaz, Batrakov and Yunus Akgün.”

Osimhen has demonstrated considerable success throughout the season, accumulating seven goals and three assists across eight matches in all competitions.

Notwithstanding the controversy surrounding his Man of the Match accolade, the Nigerian forward remains committed to capitalizing on his present trajectory and sustaining his exceptional performance for Galatasaray.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has uncovered more than 100 sacks of empty alcoholic beverage bottles stored at a residential property in Lagos, raising suspicions that they are being collected for the production of counterfeit drinks.

The bottles were found at a building located at 322B Meiran Road, Agbado Oke-Odo during an enforcement operation conducted by the agency’s Investigation and Enforcement Directorate.

NAFDAC said the recovered bottles were destroyed to prevent their possible reuse in the packaging of fake alcoholic beverages.

An Assistant Director in the directorate, Kunle Ojo, disclosed the development in a video released by the agency on Friday, explaining that the operation followed intelligence received about activities at the property.

According to Ojo, the building was situated in an isolated residential neighbourhood, where various materials, including empty alcoholic beverage bottles covered with tarpaulins, had been stored.

The bottles were of different sizes, with some bearing labels associated with alcoholic beverage brands such as Action Bitter and Royal Circle Premium Whiskey.

Ojo said investigators suspected that the bottles were being gathered for supply to individuals involved in the manufacture of counterfeit alcoholic drinks.

He explained that the suspected practice involved collecting and distributing empty branded containers to counterfeiters, who could refill them with other products and sell them as genuine alcoholic beverages.

The discovery has renewed concerns about the health dangers posed by counterfeit alcohol, particularly when fake products are packaged in containers carrying the labels of recognised brands. Such packaging can make it difficult for consumers to identify imitation products and distinguish them from genuine drinks.

NAFDAC condemned the alleged use of a residential building for the suspected operation, stating that the enforcement exercise formed part of its efforts to safeguard public health and combat the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit products.

The agency urged members of the public to report suspicious activities in their neighbourhoods to the nearest NAFDAC office, stressing that information provided by residents could assist enforcement officials in identifying and dismantling suspected counterfeiting operations.