NSCDC says election peaceful in FCT, Nasarawa, Niger states
NEWS DIGEST – The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Commandant General (CG), Mr Abdullahi Gana said the ongoing elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nasarawa and Niger States has so far been peaceful.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the elections got underway in the early hours of Saturday morning with some Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials arriving late at polling units.
Gana in an interview with the press in Niger State said that he alongside some officers of the corps had gone to some areas in the FCT, Nasarawa and Niger State and had not witnessed violence in any of the areas visited.
He said that the only problem, they encountered was at Mararaba, Nyanya and Masaka areas of Nasarawa state where voters complained about the late arrival of voting materials to polling units and the non- activation of some of the card reader machines.
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“But I think that the card reader issue has been solved now because as at the time we left it was working.
“I have addressed voters because most of them were aggressive, shouting that they must vote, and I addressed them that I had spoken to the INEC chairman and he said all voters on queue before 2pm will be given the opportunity to vote.
“So voting is not ending by 2pm, If you had been on the queue you will be given the opportunity to vote. Now we are presently in Niger state, they are voting and there is no problem so far,” he said.
According to Gana, the corps has not had security challenges working with sister agencies in ensuring adequate security at all polling units in the country.
He said that all civil defenders of the corps on official leave were recalled to help beef up security operations.
“We have about 60,000 personnel on board and they had been deployed to all polling units, cutting across the country,” he said.
The CG advised Nigerians to be cooperative and ensure the election was peaceful.
“Just go and vote and leave in peace but if you prove otherwise, we will show you we are charge,” he advised. (NAN)
