2019 Elections: Army says politicians planning bombings, assassinations

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai, has raised alarm over sinister plots by some politicians to disrupt the March 9 Governorship and State House of Assembly elections.

While speaking during a meeting with Principal Staff Officers (PSOs), General Officers Commanding (GOC), Operational Commanders and Directors in Abuja on Wednesday, March 6, 2019, the Army chief said some politicians have already plotted to disrupt the process with violence, including bombings.

He said they're also planning to spread fake news, hate speech and infiltrate homes of opponents to carry out assassinations.

He said, "Recent security threat assessment and analysis of the coming elections showed that politicians have made plans to use all means available to truncate the peaceful conduct of the elections.

"There are indications of their intent to take advantage of and to use the farmers/herders crisis, armed political thugs and ethnic militias to perpetrate acts of violence including bombings.

"Some of them also intend to infiltrate domestic staff of political opponents, employ mercenaries to carry out acts of assassinations, use the social media for smear campaigns, hate speeches and spread fake news in a bid to disrupt the peaceful conduct of the elections. We must not allow them succeed."

Buratai also reiterated the Army's commitment towards supporting the Nigeria Police Force to ensure the peaceful conduct of the elections in line with its constitutional roles

"These forthcoming gubernatorial and state assembly elections are very crucial. This is an election that touches on the interest of the people at the grassroots and could likely be volatile in nature," he said.

The Army chief appealed to Nigerian youths to shun violence and refuse to be manipulated by politicians to perpetrate any form of violence during the course of the elections.