Army uncovers plot to disrupt polls
The Chief
of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai, has raised the
alarm over plans by some politicians to employ mercenaries to carry out
assassinations, infiltrate domestic staff of political opponents and use
the social media for smear campaigns to disrupt the governorship and
state house of assembly elections on March 9.
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Buratai also disclosed how some
politicians were planning to use the farmers/herders’ crisis, armed
political thugs, militia groups and other activities, including bombings
and spreading fake news, as strategies to destabilise the elections.
He said, unlike the presidential and
National Assembly elections, the Nigerian Army this time around would be
tough on those who plan to rig or disrupt the electoral process.
The COAS made the disclosure at a meeting
with general officers commanding, principal staff officers, commanders,
directors and other senior officers at Army Headquarters, Abuja.
Buratai, who pledged that the Nigerian
Army would not allow them to succeed, said: “Recent security threat
assessment and analysis of the coming elections showed that politicians
have made plans to use all means available to truncate the peaceful
conduct of the elections.
There are indications of their intent to take
advantage of and to use the farmers/herders’ crisis, armed political
thugs and ethnic militias to perpetrate acts of violence, including
bombings.
“Some of them also intend to infiltrate
domestic staff of political opponents, employ mercenaries to carry out
acts of assassination, use the social media for smear campaigns, hate
speeches and spread fake news in a bid to disrupt the peaceful conduct
of the elections.
We must not allow them succeed.”
Buratai, while noting that the Nigerian
Army ensured that the large-scale electoral malpractices and acts of
thuggery aimed at disenfranchising voters as witnessed in previous
elections were curbed despite the campaign of calumny orchestrated by
some politicians against the service, however, noted that some level of
violence was still recorded in some parts of the country, leading to the
death of one officer and three soldiers during the presidential and
National Assembly elections.
The army chief, who said the army would
continue to protect the country, said the service would enforce all
guidelines in support of the Nigeria Police Force to ensure the peaceful
conduct of the elections in line with its constitutional roles.
He said: “We shall not allow those who
are determined to undermine our electoral process to succeed. These
forthcoming gubernatorial and state assembly elections are very crucial.
This is an election that touches on the interest of the people at the
grassroots and could likely be volatile in nature.
“It is important to reiterate that
politicians will employ and deploy all means to outwit each other to
gain control of power at this level. We may recall that in the recently
concluded polls, some politicians in their quest for power armed thugs
and miscreants with automatic weapons, induced and coerced youth corps
members and INEC ad hoc staff to perpetrate acts of electoral
malpractices.
“We must, therefore, continue to support
the NPF and other security agencies to prevent these malpractices from
occurring again. I, therefore, urge all commanders to work assiduously
and closely with the civil authorities and all law-abiding individuals
as well as groups to ensure the success of the forthcoming elections.”
Continuing, Buratai said: “During the
course of the recently concluded elections, troops of the Nigerian Army
were able to make arrest of persons who perpetrated acts of electoral
offences. These suspects are to be immediately handed over to the police
for prosecution.
“I want to state and categorically warn that the Nigerian Army will not tolerate any acts that will undermine national security.
“This time around, we shall be tough on
those who plan to rig or disrupt the electoral process. I, therefore,
want to appeal to Nigerian youths to shun any attempt by any politician
to use them to perpetrate any form of violence.
“As we mourn the death of the young
officer and soldiers killed in the course of their lawful duty during
the recently held election, I want to assure their families that their
death will not be in vain. In line with the tradition of the Nigerian
Army, they will be given heroic burial as they are indeed the heroes of
our democracy. I have directed that their full entitlements be paid. Let
no one be in doubt that those desperate politicians and criminals that
attacked our troops in the course of carrying out their legitimate
duties will be tracked down and brought to justice.
“We have all seen the advantages of the
NA Situation Room for Elections Security Monitoring. This laudable
innovation to security monitoring has received accolades from different
quarters and is already promoting inter-agency cooperation. There is no
doubt it assisted us in timely decision making and more timely response
to situations.
“I want to urge all commanders to further
key into the platform. As we take decisions and respond, we must have
at the back of our mind that the army must remain professional and
apolitical all through the electoral process.
“There have been reports of alleged
compromises by some personnel during the elections. We have received
complaints from some stakeholders, major political parties, governors of
Bayelsa, Oyo and Ogun States of allegation of misconduct as well as
unprofessional conduct by some of our personnel.”
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