Army warns against truncating the electoral process

Posted by admin Armed Forces, Elections 2011 Tuesday, April 26th, 2011

The Nigerian Army has threatened to deal decisively with any group or individuals who are out to truncate the electoral process irrespective of whose ox is gored.

The General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Muhammadu Abubakar, while addressing newsmen on the internal security operations for the governorship and House of Assembly elections at the Adekunle Fajuyi Cantonment, Ibadan on Monday, warned that any thug caught causing trouble during and after the election would be dealt with adding that, anyone found violating the restriction order would also be made to face the full wrath of the law.

He urged aggrieved parties to follow due process by seeking redress in the election tribunals instead of taking laws into their hands.

The GOC who oversees the states in the South- West, including Edo and Delta states, disclosed that 39 electoral offenders were arrested by the soldiers in the last election, adding that they had been handed over to the police for prosecution.

He debunked the claim that there had been mass deployment of soldiers for the election, saying that the majority of the military personnel had been sent to Jaji for peace keeping training.

He, however, said that soldiers would be present on the streets but not in all the polling centres.
Abubakar also warned against carrying of arms and ammunition, saying that anybody caught having such in his/her possession, would be dealt with in accordance with the law.

“We are going to deal decisively with trouble makers. There should be a change of attitude.We do not want the situation in Bauchi to rear its head in Oyo,” he said.

He stressed that during the recently conducted National Assembly and presidential elections, security agents enforced the law restricting movement and those who violated the law and other electoral offences were arrested and handed over to the police for interrogation and subsequent prosecution.

“As GOC of 2 Division, I have the task of protecting lives and property of Nigerians. This is a task I am prepared to carry out to the later because there will be no sacred cows,” he declared.

The military officer called on parents and guardians to prevent their wards from being used as political thugs.

-Tribunewp_posts