From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor, has emphasised that the military coming 2023 elections will be at the forefront of providing security but will be assisting the police.
He acknowledged that there is constant pressure on security forces to tamper with elections, but he urged Nigerians to have faith in them because they are still steadfastly devoted to upholding impartiality.
Irabor who was the 61st guest of the Ministerial Media Briefing organized by the Presidential Communications Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Thursday, maintained that the military is apolitical, disclosing that security personnel come under pressure through inducements, noting that necessary measures are being put in place to ensure that they obey President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive to maintain neutrality.
He said personnel are being trained to be more professional while rules of engagement before, during and after the elections have been codified and distributed to them.
The rules of engagement before, during, and after the elections have been codified and handed to the personnel, who are also receiving professional training on election duties as well.
He spoke of the key achievements of the military in the effort to keep the country safe including more recruitment into all branches of the security services, routing of insurgency and banditry as well as the action to curtail oil theft leading to an increase in crude oil production.
He also said that over 300,000 people have been freed from the hands of abductors since 2014 while refugees who fled the northeast due to the insurgency have started to return.
The CDS also said that former insurgents now being trained will graduate in February next year before their reintegration into society.
