The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai, has raised the alarm over alleged 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 next Saturday.
Buratai, has also revealed how some politicians were planning to use the farmers/herders crisis, armed political thugs, militia group, including bombings and spreading fake news as part of their 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 revelation at a meeting he held with General Officers Commanding (GOCs), Principal Staff Officers (PSOs), Commanders, Directors and other senior officers at the Army Headquarters.
Buratai, who vowed that the Nigerian army would not allow the evil politicians 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 assassinations, 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 with the last drop of its blood, said the army 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 Police and other security agencies to prevent all manners of 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 on 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
