2027: Proactive security measures as panacea for peaceful, credible elections

As expected, the tempo of political activities in the country is rising. This is because electioneering campaigns are here and next year’s elections are less than five months away. Electioneering campaigns and election period itself are busy time for politicians while security agencies like the police, DSS, Customs and NDLEA gird their loins for the tasking job of maintaining law and order. For the police, this period requires octane, round the clock operational alertness in order to nip election related crimes and  criminalities in the bud. On the part of Nigeria’s secret Police, the DSS, its personnel will b nosing around for credible and actionable intelligence to forestall acts of terror and sabotage against the country before and during the election.NDLEA is statutorily saddled with the task of keeping our society free from hard drugs and during this campaign period, there is no doubt that the Angency will be beaming its search light on  politicians and their supporters suspected to be drug barons and who may be financing their political campaigns with proceeds from drug trafficking. Political thugs acting under the influence of hard drugs are also expected to fall into the dragnet of the NDLEA this campaign period.

The Nigerian Customs Service is expected to tighten its preventive and enforcement measures at the nation’s various land borders, sea and airports to prevent undesirable elements from importing dangerous weapons and hard drugs with which to cause chaos in the country and derail the smooth conduct of the 2027 elections.Recall that in the run up to the Osun gubernatorial election, many hoodlums in possession of drugs and firearms were arrested. That Osun episode must not be allowed to play out in the 2027 elections. It will spell doom for the integrity of the elections if it happens. On a joyous note, however, authorities of the Nigerian Custom service at the Tincan Island Port are currently collaborating with sister security agencies to ensure that non of such happens. Recently, Customs operatives made what has been described “superb arrest” thus forestalling what would have amounted to serious security threat to the country. According to report, a 20-foot container with registration number TEMU 184536/9 which arrived from Turkey aboard vessel MV Algeciras Express on 16 August 2026, was flagged and subjected to a 100 per cent physical examination on 18 August 2026.

After a thorough examination, the container was found to contain knocked-down firearm components concealed among declared used goods, including furniture, refrigerators, solar panels and detergent.

The Command immediately put together a team of experts from its Armament Unit and that of the NCCSALW, under the Office of the National Security Adviser, to carry out the assembly of these parts, and a total of 204 MAS 49 ALTER MAGNUM pump-action rifles alongside various numbers of leftover components were uncovered. Nigerians are very appreciative of the impressive records of the Customs siits Adewale  Adeniyi was appointed as Customs CG in June 19, 2023. The Customs CG has left no one in doubt about his ability and capability to run such a critical institution to our economy and security as the Customs. Arguably, the accumulated operational successes of Adewale Adeniyi since his appointment has dwarfed the achievements of his predecessors. He stands out as one of the best Comptroller-Generals of Customs Nigeria has produced. Before now, exhibits and seized goods were confiscated and appropriated by corrupt Customs personnel but courtesy of the transformational and innovative leadership of Adeniyi,the ugly trend now belongs to the past. One only hopes that the prevailing high discipline and morale within the Customs made possibbe by the Customs CG be sustained in the interest of the service and country at large.

As expected during campaign period, two major items are prominently used by hired political thugs to intimidate opponents and or supporters of rival parties: Illegal firearms and dangerous hard drugs like tramadol, cocaine and Indian hemp. Very commendable are the recent successes of NDLEA operayives who have consistently sniffed out illegal drugs around the country and those being imported into the country. For instance, news media reports indicate that operatives of the Agency recently recorded significant breakthroughs across the country’s land and maritime borders. For example a 101- year old great grandmother who deals in illicit drugs were apprehended.Indeed, the interception of cocaine concealed in edible cassava flour popularly known as fufu, and the seizure of large consignments of loud, a synthetic cannabis valued at over N4.4 billion at Apapa and Lekki ports in Lagos was a significant milestone, a breakthrough for the Agency . According to medical experts,  intake of cannabis, cocaine and other hard drugs may result to poor memory, anxiety and mental health issues, nasal problems, addiction, rapid heartbeat and increased blood pressure. It is my fervent prayer that recent proactive security measures by security agencies will dovetail into peaceful, credible elections next year. This is more so as the Minister for Defence, General Christopher Musa has sworn that security agencies would be fully involved in ensuring that violence during political campaigns and during voting would be seriously curtailed. Such an assurance is a welcome development. Nigerians want a violent- free election campaigns and peaceful balloting.Enough of spilling of blood during campaigns and elections in our country!

Last line

Minister Wike, please show us the book (2)

And this is why reducing the matter to “Wike haters are looking for something to attack him with” would be intellectually dishonest.

If the books are clean, publish them.

If the borrowing was necessary, explain it.

If the projects justify the debt, show us the numbers.

If every naira was properly appropriated and properly spent, transparency should be the easiest defence available.

But government is not a private company where the owner can tell us to mind our business.

The FCT belongs to the Nigerian people.

Its revenues belong to the Nigerian people.

Its assets belong to the Nigerian people.

And its debts are ultimately liabilities of the Nigerian people.

That is why this conversation must go beyond Wike.

The bigger question is whether we are becoming a country where governments are judged by the visibility of what they build, while nobody is allowed to ask sufficiently hard questions about what those things cost and who will pay for them.

I am not asking Nigerians to condemn Wike.

I am asking Nigerians to demand the books.

Because N88.51 billion becoming N389.88 billion is not a political slogan.

It is a financial fact.

And N301.37 billion is too much public money to be explained away with politics.

Show us the books.

Let the figures speak.

That is accountability.

By a concern citizen (Concluded.)

Congratulations!

Security File congratulates the young, ebullient and beautiful, media friendly and intelligent Spokesperson of the Nigerian Army, Colonel Onyechi Appolonia  Anele on her recent elevation to a full Colonel. We wish you good health and God’s protection.

Congratulations once again, dear Colonel.