Barely 13 days to the 2015 rescheduled national elections on March 28, Commanders of the Nigerian Army at all levels, are converging in Abuja, the nation’s capital, to perfect strategies ahead of the polls.
A statement by the Nigerian Army Headquarters, AHQ, yesterday, in Abuja, through the acting Director of Army Public Relations, DAPR, Colonel Sani Usman, disclosed that the conference of the Chief of Army
Staff, COAS, first quarter 2015, “will also project and strategise for the next quarter and the remaining part of the year and consider the Nigerian Army development plan in the next 20 years.
Amid controversies over government’s decisions to involve the military during the elections, the Nigerian Army had said that it would provide support for all the agencies saddled with the conduct of the elections.
The conference is coming in the fifth week into the six weeks announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for a shift in initial elections dates from February 14, citing military’s request for the six weeks to contain the Boko Haram insurgents and be available for the elections.
The Nigerian Army, which has recorded great victory over the Boko Haram within these weeks, said that, “Preparations for ensuring security before, during and after the 2015 General elections will also feature in the agenda” at the conference.
Already, Sunday Mirror learnt that some of the officers from across the country have started coming into Abuja, preparatory to the conference that is scheduled to commence on Monday.
The Conference is also said to aim at “discussing general administration of soldiers, reviewing the ongoing military campaign against terrorists in the North East and other internal security operations, as well as taking stock of Nigerian Army’s activities within the last three months.
“The conference is expected to take far reaching decisions that would place the Army in a more robust position to effectively carry out its constitutional duties”, the statement said.
Meanwhile, twin explosions yesterday evening rocked one of the camps accommodating thousands of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs in Maiduguri metropolis.
The incident took place at about 6:15pm shaking many houses and structures around Maduganari ward, Ramat Polytechnic institute and other nearby communities.
Just last Saturday, multiple explosions rocked different locations including two major markets and motor parks in the metropolis leaving over 100 people dead with scores injured.
Unconfirmed reports from sources said the incident took place at Yerwa Government Girls Secondary School, while other sources said the incident occurred at Arabic Teacher’s College, unfortunately both schools, which share the same fence have now become camps accommodating some IDPs in Borno.
Another source revealed that the explosions were a controlled detonation of improvised explosive devices by security operatives at Yerwa Secondary School located at the heart of the city after discovering that it was planted by insurgents to cause havoc in the camps”.
The source added that no life was lost and no property destroyed as the explosions were defused and demobilised by security operatives.
In a related development, the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Maiduguri has condemned in strong terms the recent demolition of shops and market stalls at the Monday market and others markets and motor parks within the Maiduguri metropolis and vowed to bring to justice the perpetrators of such acts.
It would be recalled that following the increasing cases of suicide bombings on the streets of Maiduguri, especially in a crowded area or motor park centres by insurgents, security operatives embarked in the demolition of shanty shops and stalls along major highways in the metropolis.
But the NBA in a statement signed by its Chairman, Barrister Abdulwasiu Alfa, and made available to newsmen in Maiduguri over the weekend said “We condemned in strong terms the high handedness of such acts and shall do everything possible to bring the perpetrators to justice no matter how highly placed”.
While accusing the military of the demolition, the lawyers stated that the military should know that the state is no longer under state of emergency and that the state is under absolute democracy and therefore the citizens are entitled to all rights as enshrined in the 4th scheduled of the 1999 constitution.
“The Nigerian Bar Association is deeply shocked by the unwarranted, unjustified and illegal demolition of temporary structures along major streets and the Monday Market area”, the statement said
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