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Orders immediate rescue of abductees, wipe out terrorists’ camps nationwide
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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has directed security agencies to ensure free, fair and credible elections in 2027, with Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd), assuring opposition political parties that security personnel will remain neutral and will not intimidate any candidate.
Musa disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents on Thursday after a meeting of the National Security Council presided over by Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said the President had made it clear that the security agencies must guarantee a safe environment for Nigerians to exercise their democratic rights, irrespective of their political affiliations.
“You can see all heads of security agencies are here. We had an intensive discussion, and Mr President made it very clear he wants a free, fair and credible election.
“We must do everything possible to ensure that the country is safe and secure for the citizens to go out and vote,” he said.
The defence minister specifically assured opposition parties that the security agencies would not take sides in the elections, urging political actors to have confidence in their professionalism.
“For all other political parties, they should understand that the security forces are going to be neutral. We are going to ensure that we give everybody the opportunity to go and serve, so they have nothing to worry about, nothing to be afraid of, and nobody is going to intimidate them for whatever reasons,” Musa said.
He stressed that security personnel were committed to discharging their duties professionally and providing equal protection for all political parties and candidates.
The assurance comes as preparations for the 2027 general elections continue, with the role of security agencies in protecting voters, candidates and electoral materials expected to be crucial to the conduct of the polls.
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Beyond election security, Musa said Tinubu had directed the security agencies to intensify operations against terrorists and bandits, with specific instructions to rescue all abducted Nigerians and dismantle criminal camps across the country.
“The directive from the President is: all of us must go all out to fish out and rescue all those that have been abducted, kidnapped, wherever they are.
“There shouldn’t be any camp of any terrorist or bandits anywhere in Nigeria,” he said.
On efforts to strengthen the country’s security architecture, the minister disclosed that the administration had increased recruitment, training and equipment procurement for the Armed Forces.
He also revealed that Tinubu would soon commission newly acquired aircraft and helicopters, numbering nearly 10, to boost the operational capacity of the military.
According to Musa, the acquisitions demonstrate the administration’s commitment to addressing insecurity despite the country’s economic challenges.
He further cited recent salary increases for members of the Armed Forces and measures to address the welfare of security personnel and pensioners as part of the government’s efforts to strengthen the security sector.
The minister called on Nigerians to support security agencies by providing credible information about suspicious activities and reporting misconduct by personnel.
“Security is everybody’s responsibility. It’s not only for members of security forces. Everyone has a role to play,” he said, assuring that appropriate action would be taken against security personnel found engaging in wrongdoing.
Musa reaffirmed the commitment of the security agencies to working together to protect Nigerians, tackle insecurity and maintain peace and stability across the country.
