Vows to deal with political thugs
Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), has warned politicians, especially those seeking political offices and their supporters, not to set the country on fire with their utterances and actions.
The Chief of Defence Staff,(CDS), General Irabor, who gave the warning at the Defence Headquarters bi-weekly media briefing, said the military would no longer fold its hands to watch miscreants, political thugs and unpatriotic politicians set the country on fire.
The DHQ also warned political thugs and miscreants who are planning to cause havoc with their activities during the 2023 general elections to have a re-think or have themselves to blame.
Irabor, who joined the Director, Defence Media Operations, Major-Gen. Benard Onyeuko, at the briefing on the updates of military operations conducted across the country held in Abuja, advised those contesting for positions and appointments to conduct themselves peacefully as men and women of honor as according to him, there would be no position to aspire for if the country is set on fire. He said any political thug caught before, during and after the electioneering processes would be severely dealt with.
The CDS, who appealed for peace to reign as the nation goes into another major election, further said: If we dont have a country, then, there will be no appointive positions to aspire for. So, the most important thing regarding this upcoming election is that we must be men and women that conduct ourselves peacefully.
Continuing, Irabor said Nigeria remains a nation that must live in peace, desire to live in peace; and Nigerians deserve to live in peace. And so, we will not allow criminals or thugs that might have made themselves available for anyone to use; we will not allow it.
Were working very closely with the Police, and we stand ready to give them all the necessary support, because going forward, Nigeria must be peaceful; thats what were looking forward to.
Speaking on the alleged conspiracy by some military personnel with kidnappers, bandits, terrorists and other criminal elements to jeopardize military operations, the CDS told newsmen that several personnel of the three armed forces caught in the acts are currently facing various court-martials in different unit formations across the country.
On the update of the recent attack on a Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, the CDS, said that efforts are in top gear to arrest perpetrators of the dastardly acts and bring them to justice.
