Nov. 11 Off-season Guber Elections: Military Warn Impersonators, Expresses the Readiness of AFN to Exert Pressure on Groups that Seek to Derail Peace and Security in the Country

By Anthonia Okwuolise, Abuja

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) in her bi-weekly briefing has issued stern warning to those planning to impersonate Military officials during the off-season 11 Nov. 2023 gubernatorial elections in Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo States.

The Director Media Operations (DMO) Major General Edward Buba, handed down the warning while responding to a question on recurrent cases of fake solders, who are trying to hijack the elections, and intimidate eligible voters.

“We are aware of plans of some to disguise in military uniforms to orchestrate havoc and disrupt elections in some areas”.

He warned that dire consequences awaits anyone planning to impersonate in the military uniform adding that they would have themselves to blame.

In the briefing, he presented the successes of the Nigerian troops in the various theatres of operations across the country, over the past week.

Major General Buba said; “the armed forces will continue to exert military pressure on groups that seek to derail any progress towards peace and security in the country.

“Our message to such a group is that there is going to be disaster consequences for such an action. The military will not fold it’s arms, looking and watch it’s image being tannished and dragged to the mud”.

Major General Buba further declared that “It is important to highlight that the AFN is a disciplined and well trained force that conducts its operation within the ambit of laws governing human rights and that of armed conflict.

“We have rules of engagement that are followed in the course of our actions. There is no doubt that these groups must be defeated and are indeed being defeated. It is for these reason we are inflicting severe damage on the terrorist, insurgents and violent extremist through our operations across the country.

Major General Buba explained that the military is targeting their leadership, infrastructure and foot soldiers.

“The coordination between the air and ground forces is like never seen before and yielding amazing results and achievements”.

He also disclosed that arrangements are being made to acquire new fighting weapons saying,

“We are expecting new platforms that would further enhance our capabilities to further root out the terrorists and destroy their military capabilities.

“The operations of the last one week, resulted in 113 neutralized terrorists with 300 of them arrested.

Major General Buba disclosed that in Niger Delta Region, troops arrested 25 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 91 kidnapped hostages.

“Troops denied oil theft of the estimated sum of Five Hundred and Seventy One Million Seven Hundred and Ninety Three Thousand Three Hundred and Fifty Naira (N571,793,350.00) only and recovered 129 assorted weapons and 717 assorted ammunition.

Major General Buba who presented insight into the troops’ offensives also gave details of the successes, especially the arms and ammunition recovered from terrorists and criminals as follows: one Unserviceable AA gun, one RPG tube, 5 RPG bombs, one GT3 rifle, 54 AK47 rifles, 8 locally fabricated rifles, one locally made rifle, 2 pistols, 2 pump action guns, 2 dane guns, 4 locally fabricated pistol, 3 skeleton of AK47 rifles, 9 hand grenades, one unserviceable AK47 rifle, 14 magazines, 321 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 40 live cartridges.

Others are: 53 rounds of 5.45mm x 39mm ammo, 35 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 100 rounds of short gun, 11 rifle body, 7 breech block, 7 rifle butts, 8 rifle muzzles, 9 piston assembles, 210 springs, one drilling machine, hand filling machines, 10 magazine purges, IED making materials, 4 boafeng radios, 15 motorcycles, 20 mobile phones and the sum of N348,200.00 amongst other items.

He added that troops in the Niger Delta Region discovered and destroyed 76 dugout pits, 35 boats, 95 storage tanks, 10 vehicles, 129 cooking ovens, 5 pumping machine, 13 speedboats, 6 outboard engine, one vessel, 3 motorcycles and 49 illegal refining sites.

According to him, troops recovered 514,640 litres of stolen crude oil, 339,315 litres of illegally refined AGO and 775 litres of DPK.

Major General Buba therefore clarified that “It is important to highlight that the AFN is a disciplined and well trained force that conducts its operation within the ambit of laws governing human rights and that of armed conflict. That they have rules of engagement that are followed in the course of their actions”.

He revealed that there are standby court martials, to put on trial any erring personnel that is found wanting during operations and stressed the need to be circumspect of groups and organisations that embark on misinformation and disinformation to give the military a negative image.

“They have ulterior motives for their actions. For instance, the circulation of old footages of incidences that occurred in the past that have been tried at court martial, as if they were recent occurrences is mischievous. The public should be wary of such groups and their motives.

He vowed that the military is ever ready to neutralize anyone that comes its way.