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By Molly Kilete And Fred Ezeh
How safe is it to venture outside to cast one’s ballot? Perhaps this is the question on the lips of many Nigerians. Their fears are not unfounded, if recent nightmarish experiences in the lead up to the general election are anything to go by.
Following incessant violent attacks on innocent citizens, security operatives, INEC facilities and government structures in some parts of the country, concerns have been raised in all the nooks and crannies of the country how safe it is to fulfil one’s civic responsibilities this period.
The cyberspace is not left out as it is being used for bullying and attacks, which also constitute a major security threat to the elections. These attacks, which have continued to happen almost on a daily basis for some time now, has led to heightened tension and fears over the safety of Nigerians who will troop out, starting from today, to cast their votes for their preferred candidates
Intimidation, oppression, and threats from party supporters to perceived opposition members are not helping matters, as many have come under attacks by political thugs for supporting candidates other than theirs.
The situation has got so bad that many Nigerians are contemplating staying at home for fear of being attacked by hoodlums. Many have dismissed the security agencies as partisan, since they have not been able to bring some of these perpetrators to book.
However, the story seems to have changed this time around as the military, police and security agencies have elected to be battle ready to provide a conducive environment for Nigerians to carry out their civil responsibilities on Election Day.
They have vowed to return tit for tat to any traducers, persons or groups bent on causing mayhem before, during and after the elections, and called on Nigerians to come and vote for candidates of their choice.
The security agencies comprise the Armed Forces of Nigeria, the Nigerian Police Force, Department of State Services, National Intelligence Agency, Defence Intelligence Agency among others.
The police are the lead security agency as far as the elections are concerned. To ensure crisis free polls, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba, had, on several occasions, assured Nigerians of the neutrality of the Nigerian Police Force to provide the necessary security arrangements. He has also held several meetings with Deputy Inspectors General of Police, Assistant Inspector General of Police(AIG), state commissioners of police, to ensure a crisis-free election, and, recently, held a training programme for police officers in charge of operations in the 36 states and Abuja.
The IGP, during the meeting, charged the officers not to allow political actors or miscreants to subdue their area of operations.
Constitutionally, the police is the lead security agency to lead the security agencies during the elections. For this reason, the police would be more visible on Election Day as they would be deployed to polling units to keep law and order in polling booths, while the military provides the outer security to prevent hoodlums and other criminals from gaining free access into states to cause mayhem.
So far, the police have trained its personnel, especially those that would be deployed on election duties on the rules of engagement, which includes working with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other intelligence and security agencies in the country, both local and foreign observers, towards delivering a peaceful, free, fair and credible election.
Some of the security arrangement put in place also include dealing decisively with quasi-security agents who may be employed by politicians, from participating in the electoral process.
So far, it has carried out surveillance on all the polling units in the country, identified criminal hotbeds which it has since invaded in a special operation.
In an interview with Saturday Sun, the Federal Capital Territory Commissioner of Police, Sadik Abubakar, said the FCT Police command was well prepared.
He noted: “We have already conducted a survey on all the polling units. We have enlightened all our officers, and we have also enlightened those who would provide support services. The sister agencies — the military, the Customs, Immigration, Civil Defence, Fire Service, among others — have been briefed, and we have always been communicating and coming together to fashion out how we are going to carry out our duties successfully without hitches. So I am confident to say that we are on top of the game and we are well prepared for the elections.
“Though we do not envisage any problem, I can tell you that human beings are the most difficult animals on earth. You can never predict them. But based on the preparations that we have on ground and what the IGP and other sister agencies have made, I don’t envisage any problem; things will move smoothly, and I am sure INEC, too, on their own side, has done a lot, and there has been a lot of public enlightenment on how people should vote and how to behave, and I believe members of the public are now better informed.
“So my assurance to residents of the FCT is that they should come out and exercise their rights as citizens of Nigeria. Security has been arranged, and everything that will make it possible for everybody to vote has been made possible. So I encourage them to be orderly, obey the rules, and come out and exercise their rights as voters.
ARMED FORCES
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor, has made it clear to anyone who cares to listen that the Nigerian Armed Forces would not fold its arms to watch miscreants and other unscrupulous Nigerians disrupt the smooth conduct of the 2023 general elections. Irabor and the service chiefs have set up various operations to curb any violence that may occur during the elections.
The CDS said the armed forces could not afford to let Nigerians and the electorate who are depending on the military and the security agencies to provide a conducive environment for the elections. He, therefore, charged members of the armed forces to defend democracy with the last drop of their blood.
Irabor, alongside the service chiefs, shortly after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, sometime last year, drew out their operational order for the general elections with the establishment of some special security operations in some parts of the country.
In 2022, the Army, Navy and Nigerian Air Force authorities organised special training for their personnel on code of conduct for the elections and distributed a handbook containing the electoral laws to all personnel.
With the training and distribution of the handbook, any serviceman who violates the order would be made to face a general court martial.
To ensure the electoral process is crisis free, the CDS has been meeting regularly with the service chiefs, IGP, and heads of the various security agencies to brainstorm on the way forward to ensure a crisis free elections on several occasions.
Irabor, has made it clear to personnel of the armed forces and the security agencies that Nigerians are depending on them to provide their safety before, during and after the elections.
Only last Monday, he held a meeting with 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 Intelligence (CDI), among other security chiefs, to put a final touch on security arrangements for the election.
Briefing journalists at the end of the meeting, which took place at the Defence Headquarters, the CDS said the armed forces and the security agencies were good to go as far as the elections were concerned, and called on Nigerians to come out and cast their votes.
In his words: “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 assessed the entire situation, and we are good to go.
“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 on all fronts.”
Answering questions on the electoral process on security situations in some states that are still battling insurgency, the CDS, said: “Well, I do not need to tell you how we would do it, but all I am telling 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. For those planning to scuttle the smooth electoral process, the CDS said “they had better have a rethink, because they will have a bloody nose.”
For the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), those planning to destabilise the electoral process and thugs should have a rethink, because the Nigerian Army would not fold its arm to watch hooligans disrupt the smooth process.”
Gen Yahaya had, in his address while inaugurating participants of Course 7 Of the Army War College Nigeria, warned those planning to cause trouble to abide by the laws of the land in their own interest.
The army chief, while noting that the elections were just a few days away, assured the preparedness of all the Nigerian Army to provide a peaceful and conducive environment for law abiding citizens to perform their civic duty of voting leaders of their choice before, during and after the elections.
He said: “As we move to the 2023 general elections, I want to assure the nation of the commitment and resolve of the Nigerian Army along with the other services, agencies and stakeholders of our preparedness to provide a conducive environment for a free, fair and credible elections.”
The story is not different from that of the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Air Force, as they have all concluded security arrangements for a peaceful election.
Only last Saturday, the Nigerian Navy held a show of force exercise across the country to showcase in readiness and warning to miscreants to repent of their negative attitude or face the wrath of the service.
The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Auwal Gambo, in his address at the event, warned personnel from hobnobbing with politicians so as not to bring the service into disrepute.
The CNS noted: “I wish to remind you all that the political activities in the country for the forthcoming general election have reached a climax. Hence, I urge you to maintain neutrality and be apolitical.
“I enjoin you to be more professional in the conduct of your duties and day- to-day activities. Furthermore, I encourage you not to engage in any acts of misdemeanour or take the law into your hands that could bring the service disrepute in the course of your duty.
“The Nigerian Navy will continue to support you by providing all the needs to function optimally in the area of your responsibilities. Additionally, I charge you all to show dedication to duty and unflinching support to our democracy and constituted authority.”
So, as Nigerians go about performing their civic duties, there are assurances from the military and security agencies that it won’t be business as usual. The onus now lies on all “to report suspected movement or persons to the nearest security agency,” as the authorities said.
