Babagana Monguno, the National Security Adviser (NSA), issued a warning to political parties and their candidates on Friday about electoral violence ahead of the 2023 elections.
He urged the parties to persuade their supporters to refrain from engaging in any form of violence.
He issued the warning during an emergency meeting of the inter-agency consultative committee on election security at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters in Abuja.
The Herald had reported that INEC called the emergency meeting in response to recent attacks on its facilities in Ogun and Osun states.
“Those people who have gangsters working for them, I want to send a very clear warning, a categorical, unequivocal warning to each and every one, regardless of whichever party, including the party of the President,” Mr Monguno said.
“For as long as you decide to scuttle the electoral process, you will be visited with appropriate, commensurate response. I want to assure you, and I am saying this with all sincerity.”
Usman Baba, the Inspector-General of Police, who was also present at the meeting, stated that some arrests have already been made in connection with electoral violence.
“With the incidences so far, arrests have been made, investigations have been conducted and some suspects are being charged to court,” the IGP said.
“My prayer is for quick dispensation of justice so that it will serve as deterrent and it will also reduce the cases of impunity.”
INEC raises alarm about campaign violence
Nigeria’s election commission warned on Friday of the risk of increased campaign violence just over three months before presidential and parliamentary elections.
Since campaigning began just over a month ago, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has tracked 50 attacks across the country, according to INEC chairman Mahmood Yakuba.
“The commission is worried that if no urgent and decisive steps are taken, the attacks will intensify as we approach the election date,” the INEC chief said in a statement.
“We need to take decisive steps to stem the ugly trend.”
To look the the simultaneous attacks on our Local Government Area offices in Abeokuta South in Ogun State and Ede South Local Government office in Osun State. The attack in Abeokuta South happened around 1.15am while that of Ede happened around 6.00am yesterday 10th November 2022
— INEC Nigeria (@inecnigeria) November 11, 2022
INEC called the emergency meeting in response to recent attacks on the regional offices in Ogun and Osun states in the early hours of Thursday.
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Major-General Babagana Monguno, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba; the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Bichi; and the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufai Abubakar comprised the inter-agency committee.
Yakubu confirmed that arsonists set fire to INEC offices in Ogun and Osun, resulting in the loss of 904 election boxes and 65,699 uncollected Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). He claims that the Commission will recreate the affected PVCs using their data.
While expressing strong concerns about political attacks, he urged the committee to take decisive action to prevent such incidents from occurring.
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