…Army
claims some Politicians are arming thugs with weapons, Army uniforms
Daniel Efe
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has again claimed that the General Officer Commanding 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Jamil Sarham has planned the arrest of 10 Local Government Council Chairmen in the state in a bid to scuttle the elections in the state.
Addressing journalists on Thursday, Governor Wike alleged that the intention of the GOC 6 Division of the Nigerian Army is to generate insecurity and violence through undue provocation of the people.
Governor Wike added that the GOC 6 Division of the Nigerian Army has also penciled down 182 persons who will be arrested across the 23 Local Government Areas. He said majority are PDP members.
Governor Wike said: “The GOC 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Jamil Sarham has stated that he will arrest the Chairman of Ikwerre, Abua/Odual, Mayor of Port Harcourt, Chairman of Bonny and Degema Local Government Area.
“Other Chairmen to be arrested by the GOC include, Akuku-Toru, Asari-Toru, Gokana, Khana and Eleme Local Government Areas“.
The governor noted: “What offence have
these council chairmen committed to warrant this illegal intimidation? If they
committed any offences, were these offences committed within the election
period? Why were they noted arrested before now.
“These are the actions that will lead to
crisis . Allow the people to vote freely and their votes must count. Rivers
people must be allowed to vote”.
He said that Rivers State is for Rivers people
and security agencies will not be allowed to waste the lives of the
people in the name of elections.
“If Major General Jamil Sarham has been
promised the post of the Chief of Army Staff, it will not be at the expense of
the lives of our people”, he said.
Governor Wike expressed concern that the security agencies are misinterpreting the Presidential Directive on ballot box snatching. He said that the Nigerian Army and the Federal Special Anti-robbery Squad have seen the directive as a leeway to kill innocent people, even when the Army and Police are the real culprits.
The governor regretted that police and army
fake uniforms are being produced for the purpose of disrupting the
elections on Saturday by APC leaders.
He noted that despite the directives by heads
of national security agencies, the situation in Rivers State is
different as the GOC 6 Division of the Nigerian Army and the Federal Special
Anti-robbery Squad Commander, Akin Fakorede are engaged in illegal
activities during the elections.
“The Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is moving around with a battalion of soldiers. Several trucks of soldiers are at his residence of Ernest Ikoli in Old GRA.
“While Amaechi is using the soldiers to commit electoral atrocities, the GOC 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Jamil Sarham and Akin Fakorede are obviously partisan, supporting the APC” he said.
He noted that APC is not participating in the
core of the elections as they will field candidates for National Assembly,
State Assembly and Governorship Elections.
The governor said that the function of the security agencies is to secure voters, ad-hoc staff and election materials.
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Our Correspondent could not however verify this
claims and allegations against the GOC 6 Division of Nigerian Army and
Commander of SARS by Governor Wike.
However, the 6 Division of the Nigerian
Army had alerted the public that credible intelligence available to it has
uncovered an unholy plan by some political actors within its Area of
Responsibility (AOR) to arm and sponsor miscreants in addition to using
military-like fatigue dress for deception to cause pandemonium at polling
stations for their political gain.
In a press statement signed by Colonel Aminu ILyasu, Deputy
Director Army Public Relations, on February 19 stated that covert efforts
are on-going to track the source of the weapons and the agents involved in
conjunction with sister security agencies, authorities of 6 Division NA but
unequivocally stated that anyone found to be disrupting the electoral process
under any guise will be decisively dealt with in accordance with the laws no
matter how highly placed he or she is.
“To this end, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6
Division and Land Component Commander (LCC) OPDS Maj Gen Jamil Sarham wish to
reassure the good people of Niger Delta of providing adequate security in
conjunction with other security agencies before, during and after the 2019 General
Elections”
He also thanks the good citizens of the Niger Delta for their
cooperation and assistance so far rendered to the Division particularly in the
area of information dissemination and urge them to do more.
