Election security: We are good to go – Defence chief

Lucky Irabor, an army general and Nigeria’s chief of defence staff (CDS), says the armed forces and other security agencies are ready to provide safe and secure environment for the 2023 elections.

Irabor gave the assurance while briefing newsmen shortly after meeting with service chiefs and heads of security agencies on Monday in Abuja.

The closed-door meeting was attended by service chiefs, inspector-general of police, directors-general of Department of State Services (DSS) and National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and the chief of defence intelligence (CDI).

He said the purpose of the meeting was to review security arrangements for the elections and develop action plans to ensure that the exercise hold 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.

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“Looking at the security for the elections and as you know, the police is the lead agency for election 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.

“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 assurance that the security agencies would cover every part of the country to ensure peaceful elections, so that all eligible Nigerians exercise their franchise.

He added that contingency actions had been taken to address areas with peculiar security challenges.

The CDS warned those that intend to cause trouble during the elections to have a rethink, “because they will have a bloody nose”.