The Nigerian Army has pledged not to intimidate or harass genuine voters during the March 28 and April 11 general elections.
This assurance was given by the General Officer Commanding, GOC, 2 Division, Ibadan, Major-General Sanusi Muazu during a courtesy call on the governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in Osogbo.
This was disclosed in a statement released on Tuesday by the media aide to the governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon.
The statement quotes the GOC as saying that, “the military will not in any way intimidate or harass the electorate during the March and April elections.
“We will do everything possible to ensure that security is provided. We cannot do otherwise than to protect civilians. It is the taxpayers’ money that we depend on. We will do everything to make sure that lives and property are well protected.
“It is a familiar terrain that we are in, I have served in the region in various capacities and I can as well charge the people of Osun to sleep with their two eyes closed because the election will be free, fair and credible with the provision of adequate security.”
Responding, the governor was quoted to have called on the military and other security agencies to guard against allowing themselves to be used to intimidate the electorate or to subvert the will of the people, advising soldiers and other security agents not to obey any instruction or order that will compromise their professionalism during the forth-coming general elections.
The governor said: “It is a great misnomer and misuse of the military and tax payers’ resources for military and other security agents to be deployed during elections as instruments in harassing and intimidating the citizens’ freedom and liberty, and bully them for partisan and selfish interest of gaining electoral advantage.
”During the last governorship election here, security agencies were unprofessionally utilised to harass, intimidate and oppress the people whose taxes were used to pay their salaries.
“Our victory is due to the steadfastness and resolute determination of our people to assert and defend their rights.”
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