Ahead of the inauguration of the new president elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and his vice, Kashim Shettima, It has come to light that some major political actors who find dissatisfaction in the election outcome have been publicly issuing threats with the intent of inciting actions to disrupt the Presidential inauguration ceremony on May 29. To this end, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has announced that it has begun manhunt for politicians who are allegedly planning to disrupt the upcoming inauguration of the President-elect.
This was announced on Monday at a press conference held at Force Headquarters in Abuja by Inspector General of Police Usman Baba. He said that intelligence authorities and other security services were working together on the operation. The efforts to ensure a glitch free power handover ceremony following the successful conclusion of the 2023 General Elections, as indicated by Insp. Gen. Baba, made it necessary for this development to take place in order to subdue dissident groups who had been striving to destabilize the environment.
Police is working in tandem with other security agencies.
Nigerian law enforcement and intelligence agencies have been keeping a close eye on these political elites and other groups who have coalesced into disloyal brands whose main fantasy as of late has been to undermine Nigeria’s national security. To further their own limited political objectives, Insp. Gen. Baba, said they are insistent on using extra-judicial and undemocratic tactics to curtail our democratic history. He further explained that the power of political players to petition the legal system with complaints about the outcome of an election was an integral part of democracy.
He said the government would no longer stand for rhetoric that could cause unrest in the country and that any political figure who disregarded the warning would be held accountable. The chief of police again emphasized the need of maintaining peace in national life adding that at this time in our nation’s democratic transition, it is even more vital that we maintain peace and security. Insp. Gen. Baba therefore, made some unequivocal statements while the Nigeria Police, working in tandem with other security agencies and the intelligence community, continues to closely monitor the activities of these political elements.
Armed forces are fully prepared to make the inauguration hitch-free.
At first Insp. Gen. Baba stated explicitly that “the Nigeria Police hereby firmly warns all political actors with a controversial agenda and their collaborators, especially, their foot soldiers whom they are exposing to political radicalization and extremism, to cease and desist from their ongoing premeditated attempts to ignite agitation within the national space with the intention of disrupting the 29th May 2023 Presidential Inauguration Ceremony”. Secondly, “it should be clear that the Nigeria Police are committed to bringing to justice anyone who threatens Nigeria’s democracy and security, regardless of their political affiliation”.
In addition, the Police IG said under his directive, the law enforcement community and the intelligence community will continue to work closely together to protect our democracy, maintain internal security, and make the best use of their shared resources to ensure a smooth Presidential Inauguration. The Military High Command has also in recent times assured the public that the armed forces and other security forces are fully prepared to make the official inauguration of the new administration on May 29 a hitch-free event.
Nigerians not be worried that the power handover would be disrupted.
Defense Media Operations Director Major General Musa Danmadami who spoke, added that many persons were arrested as they attempted to transport ammunition from one location to another in an effort to cause chaos following the recent general election. He stated emphatically that Nigerians need not be worried that the power handover would be disrupted, as the military, in collaboration with the police and other security agencies, was working around the clock to deal firmly with any potential threat antagonistic to the peaceful inauguration as planned by the government.
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