We’re Good to Go with Saturday’s Elections, Says Nigeria’s Defence Chief Irabor

Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Lucky Irabor, on Monday, declared that the Armed Forces of Nigeria are prepared to ensure a secured general election, starting this Saturday.

He spoke after a meeting with military service chiefs and other security chiefs including the Inspector-General of Police, Director-General of DSS, Director-General of NIA and the Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI) ahead of the elections.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Irabor  reassured Nigerians that the armed forces and other security agencies were ready to provide a safe and secure environment for the elections.

He said the purpose of the meeting was to review security arrangements for the elections and develop action plans to ensure that the exercise was held under a peaceful atmosphere.

“We have just finished the meeting. The service chiefs, the Inspector General of Police, the DSS, represented by the Director of Operations, the DG, NIA and the CDI.

“Looking at the security for the elections and as you know, the police are the lead agency for elections security, 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 got representation from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who of course, you have interacted with and has also told Nigerians and the world that they are ready for this election.

“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,” he said.

Irabor also gave assurances that the security agencies would cover every part of the country to ensure peaceful elections, so that all eligible Nigerians could exercise their franchise.

While noting that contingency actions were taken to address areas with peculiar security challenges, the defence chief warned those plotting to cause trouble during the elections to have a rethink, because “they will get a bloody nose.”

 Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

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