Bight News reports that, the Nigerian Army has vowed to carry out the president Muhammadu Buhari ordered to ruthlessly deal with anyone attempting to snatch ballot boxes during the February 23rd elections, to the letter.
In a swift reaction on Monday, Army spokesperson Sagir Musa said: “If Commander-in-Chief has given an order to the Nigerian Army to that effect, be rest assured that order will be totally and effectively obeyed without any ifs or buts.”
The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari has on February 18, said he gave marching orders to the military to deal ruthlessly with those attempting to disrupt the polls.
Even though the president’s order has raised concern among the masses who believed this is a call for jungle justice, the Nigerian Army on Monday, February 18, said it will obey President Muhammadu Buhari’s controversial order to deal ruthlessly with anyone attempting to snatch election ballot boxes and disrupt the 2019 poll.
President Buhari’s order caused a stir among the masses Monday evening with several accusing the president of encouraging extrajudicial killings by the Army.
The President has on Monday, February 18, at a crucial meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC), threatened that anyone who engages in the act will not live to commit another crime.
However, the national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, explained the details concerning the order to security agencies issued on Monday, February 18 by President Buhari. He spoke after the national caucus of the meeting of the APC in Abuja where the president gave the instruction that ballot thieves should be ruthlessly dealt with as the country prepares for the postponed general elections.
Meanwhile, Sec.129 (4) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) provides that “any person who snatches or destroys any election material commits an offence and is liable on conviction to 24 months imprisonment”.
