CDS reads riot act to military personnel on election duty

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Chrisopher Musa, has warned military personnel to be posted on election duty against compromise as they risk court-martial.

Musa, who stated this in an interactive session with security agencies at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Onopa, Yenagoa, said the military would ensure a peaceful atmosphere for the governorship elections in Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo states.

The CDS, while reiterating the directive of President Bola Tinubu to security agencies to ensure a peaceful and credible elections in the three states, visited Bayelsa with his team to assess the security situation, and to ensure that Bayelsa was secure and protected ahead of the November 11 election.

He warned anyone planning to perpetrate violence to steer clear of the elections in the three states and cautioned security agencies against acts that would compromise the polls.

According to him, the security agencies have the President’s directive to bring to an end acts of criminality, including sea piracy, illegal bunkering, and pipeline vandalism to ensure that oil production output increases to boost the national economy.

“I have come with a very powerful team. We want to ensure that the state is fully secure and well protected so that Bayelsa will continue to develop.

“Last week, we held a meeting with the National Security Adviser, the INEC Chairman and other stakeholders on the need to conduct credible and peaceful elections. For us, that is a marching order.

“Within us, if anybody wants to sabotage the election, l want to assure that all security agencies are going to be very watchful of our conduct.

“If any of the security agencies stain the election, it is going to stain all of us, and we are not going to allow that. Prior to the election, a number of steps will be taken to ensure that everywhere is calm and everybody is allowed to come out and vote.

“The era, where people will use violence to intimidate voters and snatch ballot boxes is gone. We want to warn those who think it is their birthright to perpetrate violence during elections that henceforth it is not going to be business as usual. Any member of the armed forces caught compromising the election risks a court-martial,” he said.

On his part, Rear Admiral Olusegun  Ferreira, the Commander of Operation Delta Safe, said they were ready to ensure that the Bayelsa election would be conducted peacefully and credibly.