…Warns politicians who control thugs to have a rethink
The National Security Adviser, (NSA), says politicians who plan to disrupt the forthcoming elections will be dealt with.
Monguno gave the warning yesterday, at an emergency security meeting organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC).
Recall that suspected hoodlums reportedly torched the INEC office in Ogun State on Thursday.
INEC’s Commissioner for Information and Voter education, Festus Okoye, had said critical election materials including over 65,000 uncollected PVCs were destroyed in the fire.
The Commission also reported an attack on one of its offices in Osun. Afterwards, an emergency meeting with members of the inter-agency consultative committee on election security was fixed for Friday.
Speaking at the meeting, Monguno said he was aware that in the last month, at least 52 cases of electoral violence across 22 States in the country had been reported. He described the situation as a bad signal that must be dealt with decisively.
INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, expressed worry over the growing trend of attacks on the commission’s facilities, and asked that “urgent and decisive steps” be taken because “as we all know, a peaceful campaign heralds a peaceful election”.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba, said some arrests have already been made and that investigations are on-going.
Others present at the meeting included Yusuf Bichi, Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), and Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Abubakar.
