- Meets with service, security chiefs
- Says trouble makers will get bloody nose
From Molly Kilete, Abuja
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Lucky Irabor met on Monday with service chiefs and heads of security agencies in Abuja with a promise to provide a conducive environment for a crisis free elections in the country.
The CDS, aid the armed forces, police and other authorities were battle ready to give a bloody nose to any person or group of persons who may want to scuttle the electoral process.
He called on Nigerians to go and cast their votes for candidates of their choice without fear of being attacked as adequate security measures have been put in place to protect law abiding citizens.
He also assured that elections would hold as promised by the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC).
The meeting which took place at the Defence Headquarters, had in attendance the Chief Of Army Staff(COAS), Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya, Chief of Naval Staff(CNS), Vice Admiral Auwal Gambo, Chief of Air Staff(CAS), Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, the Inspector General of Police(IGP), Usman Baba, the Director General of Department of State Services(DSS), Yusuf Bichi, who was represented, Director General National Intelligence Agency, Chief of Defence Inteligence(CDI), among other security chiefs.
The meeting which started at about four o’clock, lasted for about two hours.
Briefing journalists at the end of the meeting, the CDS, said “we have just finished a meeting with the service chiefs, the IGP, the DG-DSS represented by the director of operations, the DG-NIA and the CDI and we have compared notes and assess the entire situations and we are good to go.
He said “The assessment is that we are set on all fronts, we equally got representation from the INEC chairman who of course you have interacted with who has also told Nigerians and the world that they are ready for elections.
“So by and large, we are good to go and I like to use this opportunity to assure Nigerians that on the security front, we are good to go in all fronts.
Answering questions on the electoral process on security situations in some states that are still battling the insurgency, the CDS, said “well I do not need to tell you how we would do it, but all I am telling is that you is that we will do it, and everyone will have the liberty to exercise their franchise.
“This is part of the assessment that is done and the general assessment is that yes we are good to go and we have taken the needed contingency to address those peculiar areas.