The military’s involvement in this year’s elections, particularly in Rivers State, provoked mixed reactions. To some, it was a good move to help the police cope with violence that sometimes get out of hand. Others say the military has no business with elections. Eric Ikhilae reports.
There is no consensus on the level of electoral oddities during the 2019 general elections. But stakeholders agree
that the process witnessed substantial acts of violence and criminality.
Several reports by election observers and security agencies, including the military, identified Lagos, Kano, Oyo, Kogi, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers states, among others, as places where violence and disruption of election process occurred.
Some estimates put the number of deaths across the country at 50, including the 16 noted in a February 23 statement by the Situation Civil Society Room, a coalition of civil rights groups. Other deaths have occurred thereafter.
Besides this, the Police, on March 4, said they had arrested 323 offenders.The military said it apprehended some offenders who were handed to the police.
Elections like war
While many of the states recorded a few incidents of violence and electoral process disruption, the situation in Rivers State was likened to a war situation, forcing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to suspend the electoral process.
Some analysts claimed that the situation in Rivers State was caused by the desperation of incumbents, bent on winning at all cost in the face of presumed threats from actors believed to be in close alliance with agents of the Federal Government.
Of the many violent attacks and killings in the state, the incidents in Andoni and Obio-Akpor stood out because of the scale of destruction.
One of the reported cases was that of a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mowan Etete, who was said to be holding a meeting with his elder brother and a nephew on the day of election when militants stormed his house, killed them and dragged Mowan’s body around the streets of Asarama.
There was also the case of an ex-official member of the APC, Hon. Ignatius Fubara, who was said to have been tied up and beheaded in Ward 8, Ajakaja.
A former Andoni Council Chairman, Emilia Nte, was abducted by the same militants. His whereabouts remain unknown.
Two soldiers – Captain Adams Salami and Corporal Adeosun Adebayo – among victims of the reported invasion of a collation centre in Obia Akpor Local Government secretariat by armed thugs dressed in military uniforms, are battling to stay alive.
Salami, narrating his ordeal from his hospital bed, said: “At about 23:00 hours (on March 9) after the governorship and House of Assembly elections, we got information that hoodlums were trying to invade the Obio/Akpor LG collation centre.
“So, we were asked to provide security in that area, which we did, in liaison with policemen posted there. We agreed that there would be limited access into the premises. Five minutes later, to my surprise, the Rivers Governor’s convoy came in (into Obio/Akpor LG council secretariat) with about 40 cars with hoodlums and thugs.
“Some were in police uniform, shooting sporadically within the premises. As usual, we decided to step back. I was pleading with them, as a soldier, to resolve the matter amicably.”
Adebayo also accused the newcomers of violence.
He said: “I was deployed in Obio/Akpor LG collation centre and the crowd was too much. So, we had to reduce the crowd. It was then that the policemen in the governor’s convoy started mobbing us and hitting us with their weapons. I could not figure out the reason, because nobody asked anybody any question. The policemen were hitting us with the nozzles of their riffles.”
Three agents of the African Action Congress (AAC), who were affected by the incident – Dr. Lawrence Chuku, Chikordi Dike and Chief Alex Wele – equally claimed that the governor led over 200 thugs to abduct and beat them up.
They further claimed that the thugs dropped them off the governor’s vehicle and went with the Local Government Electoral Officer (EO), a woman, the result sheets and other electoral materials.
But the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications and Director of Information and Communications of the PDP Campaign Council, Emma Okah, denied the AAC agents’ claims.
Army denies involvement in disruption
Despite the accounts by victims of the Obio-Akpor secretariat incident, some individuals blamed the violence on the military, a position the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Sagir Musa, rebutted.
He insisted that troops were deployed under operation ‘’Safe Conduct’’ to support the Police and other security outfits for the successful conduct of elections.
Col. Musa did not only deny the involvement of the military, he also blamed the violence on a key political actor in the stat; he also faulted the statement credited to INEC, which questioned the military’s role.
The Army spokesman said: “Credible intelligence available to the Nigerian Army (NA) has confirmed the kitting of political thugs with military uniforms and arming of same, to impersonate soldiers and perpetrate various crimes in the furtherance of the activities of their political bosses.
“Sadly, these thugs have severally been wrongly viewed and addressed as real military personnel on various social and mainstream media channels, including blogs, chat rooms and messaging platforms thereby bringing the reputation of the Nigerian Army on several occasions to disrepute.
“The Nigerian Army understands that most civilians caught in the callous onslaught of these murderous thugs might not be able to distinguish between a genuine soldier and an impersonator, especially when they are armed with military-type weapons.
“However, several of such arrested impostors have given useful information that has led to unravelling the level of criminal involvement of some politicians in arming thugs for their depraved selfish gains. Consequently, the Nigerian Army would continue with the line of investigations being pursued to bring to successful prosecution, both the arrested impostors and their sponsors.
“The Nigerian Army will continue to execute its constitutional responsibilities of providing aid to civil authorities in order to create a safe and secure environment where real democratic processes would thrive.
“To this end, the Nigerian Army would gladly welcome any information from the public about known or suspected impostors/armed thugs being used to perpetrate violence in the society, for the furtherance of the wicked ambitions of any criminal individual.”
Military hails involvement in polls
The Army spokesman argued that but for the military’s involvement in this year’s elections, the level of violence would have been beyond what was recorded in most parts of the country, particularly in the Niger Delta.
Musa said the military deserved praises, rather than condemnation and faulted claims that its involvement amounted to militarising the election process.
He added: “Despite pockets of crisis witnessed in few states, the election was conducted in a secure and peaceful atmosphere. To achieve this, the Army in conjunction with other security agencies struggled to checkmate criminals, kidnappers, political thugs, ballot box snatchers from having a field day, in some instances, at the detriment of soldiers’lives, as witnessed in Abonema and Andoni in Rivers State.
“Specific instances abound where kidnappers and other hooligans were intercepted by the personnel of the Nigerian Army in many parts of Nigeria. For example, around Everyday Super Market in Owerri, Imo State, four impostors in military uniform (Woodland camouflage) – Mr Chinedu Odogwu, Longinus Okelue, Oguzie Princewell and Kelvin Samalia were arrested while escorting a prominent female politician in a political party vehicle.
“This development further reaffirmed Nigerian Army’s earlier warning to members of the public of the activities of some unscrupulous individuals that sponsored thugs to defend and further their selfish political objectives.
“Accordingly, 34 Brigade troops on Operation Safe Conduct deployed around Osisioma Junction, Abia State also arrested Mr. Allwell Enwereji and five others conveying already thumb printed ballot papers in his vehicle.”
The Army spokesman said when Enwereji was questioned, he said the ballot papers were specimens for campaign. He added that investigation is on to ascertain the culpability of the suspects.
He also spoke of how troops on patrol around Power Plant Substation in Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State rescued Mr Authur Nkama, who was earlier kidnapped at Ikot Ansa, in Calabar Municipal Area Council of the state.
Musa added: “Troops also intercepted and arrested suspected ballot box snatchers at Airforce Junction near Ngor Okpala LGA in Imo State on the March 9, 2019. On sighting the troops, the suspects abandoned their vehicle and ran into the bush.
“Items recovered included one Sienna Bus, one pump action gun with 11 live cartridge, voter’s cards and assorted ATMs bearing different names. In another development, troops also rescued an INEC staff member abducted by hoodlums at Ohafia Technical College in Anna Village in Abia State on the March 9, 2019.
“Four of the suspects have been arrested while efforts are on to apprehend other fleeing members of the gang. The suspects have been handed over to the police for further action. Similarly, five political thugs were nabbed at Lokpanta on March 9, 2019 while on their way to disrupt election in Lekwesi community in Abia State.’’
Why military involves in elections
Many are of the view that without the miliary providing security, the level of violence and destruction witnessed during the elections would have been higher.
They argued that although the military would not be expected to directly participate in the election process, aside providing security for election officials and materials during transportation, it could not be expected to remain in the barracks in the face of blatant threat to citizens’ lives and right to vote.
They contended that the attitude of political actors and their supporters during elections do not justify the argument that the provision of security during elections, being a civil duty, must be left entirely in the hand of an already hobbled police force.
They added that under the prevailing political clime, where candidates for political offices see election as a do-or-die affair; where politicians go to any extent in their quest for victory; where politics remain the most lucrative business and ready access to easy wealth, a President and Commander-in Chief, who restrains the military from performing its constitutional roles, betrays his oath of office.
Observers equally argued that for now, emphasis should be on how to ensure that soldiers, deployed to provide security during elections, act professionally and remain non-partisan. They suggested the need to devise ways of promptly identifying fake military men, and neutralising them before they cause any harm.
‘Police security ineffective’
A senior lawyer, Dr. Chudi Emmanuel, noted that, under normal circumstances, it is solely for the police to provide security during elections, with the aim of protecting citizens’ right to vote. Emmanuel added that since the resources of the police have proved inadequate in effectively securing the electoral process and protecting citizens’ lives and property, the Federal Government is left with no option than to call upon the military to assist.
According to him, “citizens’ right to participate in elections is a cardinal expression of human rights that needs to be protected even during times of aggression or conflict.
“The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights makes it obligatory for national governments to ensure that human rights of citizens are protected, including the right to life.
“Also, the Vienna Convention on Laws of Treaties obligates national governments to ensure that they do everything possible not to defeat the purpose and object of the treaties which they are state parties to and it has been affirmed that the Geneva Convention gives governments the right to use the military to prevent civilian casualties.
“So, in any way you look at it, it could be safely argued that the military contributes to the protection of the lives of Nigerians, in view of the increased political violence, where the police might be struggling to cope with the enforcement of peace.
“If we say that the military should have no role to play in the electoral process, will that not negate the constitutional duty of the military to defend the territorial integrity of the Federal Republic or any other duty prescribed by Presidential order?
“By the provision of the Constitution, the military has an obligation to protect the lives of Nigerians from both external and internal aggression. If elections in the country should provide such threats, the military has a duty to help. This has been done in several parts of the world, where military personnel are drafted in to assist citizens before disagreements escalate into conflicts and humanitarian crises.
“What I think we should be concerned about is how to ensure military personnel deployed for election duties maintain high professional conduct and uphold strong human rights standards.
“In view of our current level of political development, the military is needed to protect the civilian population, defuse increasing political violence and other gross acts of illegality being witnessed during elections. So, other stakeholders in the electoral process should work with INEC on how to ensure legal cover for the military’s role in elections.
‘Politicians don’t play by the rules’
Another legal practitioner, Abdulkarim Ibrahim, argued that the country can only talk about excluding the military from its electoral process when politicians learn to play by the rules and the problem of insecurity is fully taken care of.
He cited an incident in a community in Borno State, where members of the Boko Haram sect were said to have taken charge and chased away voters on an election day, only for the military to be invited later to engage the sect members and successfully dislodged them before the people could vote.
Ibrahim said but for the military’s intervention, peace would have continued to elude the residents of that community, who would not have voted.
He wondered if the police would have been able to dislodge the Boko Haram members.
Ibrahim added: “I think those who are arguing that the electoral process is militarised with the involvement of the military, are either being mischievous or ignorant. They could be mischievous because the presence of the military prevented them from engaging in violence and the disruption of the process.
“There could be others, who are just complaining out of ignorance and because they have not experienced the kind of violence that these desperate politicians are capable of perpetrating during elections.
“For me, until the politicians learn to be civil during elections and see life beyond their occupation of political offices at all cost, I will suggest we keep the military as part of the election process. All we need to do is to draw up a clear sets of rules to guide their involvement.”
Army activates internal cleansing mechanism
As part of a self-assessment process, the Nigerian Army has activated its internal cleansing mechanism with the inauguration of a nine-member committee, headed by Major Gen. T.A. Gagariga, to investigate allegations of misconduct against the its men during this year’s elections.
The Army’s Chief of Administration, Major- General K. A.Y. Isiyaku, while inaugurating the committee on March 15, on behalf of the Chief of Army Staff, enjoined its members to be fair, objective and transparent in their duties.
The committee, which is expected to submit its report not later than March 31, is to establish whether the troops deployed for security purposes during the elections acted within the rules of engagement and the code of conduct.
In carrying out its duties, the committee is expected to visit states where issues have been raised with regard to the conduct of the military during the elections, and interact with governors of those states, civil society organisations and other security agencies.
The committee has asked some election observers, including national and international observers, to send in their reports on soldiers’ involvement in the elections.