Army general and chief of defense staff, CDS, Lucky Eluonye Onyenuchea, LEO, Irabor, mouthed off like most Nigerians in officialdom saying that the nation’s capital is inviolable.
It’s an incredulous boast given a recent attack by men believed to be ISWAP on Kuje Correctional facility some kilometers from the well gaurded Nnamdi Azikiwe Internationally Airport.
Aside this, Abuja was almost put on lockdown after some terrorists attacked the elite brigade of guards, sweeping into central part of Abuja.
But Irabor, CDS, has allayed fears expressed in some quarters concerning the feasibility of the 2023 general election vis-a-vis the rising incidences of violent attacks, outright criminality and terrorist machinations across the country.
Speaking during a parley with media executives Tuesday in Abuja, General Irabor reassured Nigerians that the nation’s security forces are primed to work with the relevant authorities to successfully deliver the coming general election and thereafter handover to the incoming administration.
Harping his words at a recent training workshop organized by the Police, the lead agency in Election Security, General Irabor said the armed Forces have a covenant with the Democratic Process which presupposes that a conducive condition for conduct of elections must be attained before the 2023 poll.
Accordingly, he said that all engagement of the of the armed forces in various theatre of operations is tailored toward ensuring that the preconditions for a peaceful election in met ahead of the election in 2023.
The CDS therefore pleaded with Nigerians and especially the media to guard against a systematic weakening of the strength the armed forces via unguarded and posts and opinions noting that : A nation is as Strong as its armed forces, there are various avenues of whittling your strength. Do not encourage people to weaken the emotional strength of the armed forces” he urged.
Speaking under the title ” Building Strategic Military/Media Partnership For Restoration of Peace In Nigeria”, General Irabor canvased need for behavioral change among Nigerians and especially the media with regards escalating, sharing and broadcasting information that are purposely pushed into the public space to create fear.
General Irabor while observing that a lot of falsehoods are been thrown into the public space appealed to established media to use their platforms to correct the misinformation in the overall interest of the country.