The National Security Adviser (NSA) Major General Mohammed Babagana Monguno yesterday warned security agencies against aiding any political party to compromise the 2019 general elections.
He made this known during the Interagency Consultative Committee on Election Security at his office in Abuja.
He said, “We would not tolerate any unnecessary loss of lives, this is important and fundamental, no innocent lives would be lost. And this has to do with how we carry out our duties. What had happened in the past will not be tolerated.
“NSA is going to descend very heavily on security agencies who as a consequence of their inability to carry out their functions allow lives to be lost unnecessarily.
“This is very important and I want to stress it. I want to notify all security agencies that I will also not tolerate any collusion, aiding or abetting of criminal elements by security agencies in this process,” the NSA said.
He noted that President Buhari has pointed out the importance of ensuring a level playing field for all the political parties.
“The elections have to be extremely fair and free, the process has to be very transparent and this is a heavy responsibility on our shoulders. Finally, any issue of dereliction of duty by security agents will be viewed with the seriousness it deserves.
“In the past, many agents, individuals have got away scot-free, this time around, I as the National Security Adviser with the co-chair, Chairman of INEC, will make sure any individual who compromises or raises any situation that results in casting any aspersion on our own integrity, on the government, is going to be called on the carpet, he is going to answer for that,” the NSA added.
The INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmud Yakubu said the polls would hold in 180,000 polling units nationwide.
He said the electoral body had concluded its election plans, adding that facilities were being prepared “so we could have credible and transparent elections.”
He said, “We must tackle vote buying at polling units, we must not allow this to fly, our democracy should not be for the highest bidder. We are looking at vote booths administration to make it difficult for voters to display their ballots.”
The committee in a communiqué issued yesterday after the meeting said the NSA as the coordinator of all security agencies would ensure that capacity building initiatives and effective inter-agency collaboration frameworks were evolved to guarantee seamless security deployments and prompt response to threats during the 2019 General Elections.
The communiqué signed by AIG Peace Abdallah, said, “Code of Conduct for all security agencies will be developed to guide the operations of officers to be deployed and to hold them accountable for their actions in their line of duty.”
The meeting was also attended by acting Director-General, Department of State Service, Mathew Seyeifa, Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Habila Joshiak, and other heads of security agencies.
