FG plans ‘troublemakers’ arrest on election eve

 Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba

There are strong indications that security agencies may clamp down on “troublemakers” ahead of Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections.

The PUNCH learnt in Abuja on Wednesday that the “troublemakers” would be arrested based on intelligence reports on “persons of interest.”

The names of the “troublemakers” could not be ascertained as of the time of filing this report, but security sources said they might be arrested on the eve of Saturday’s elections.

One of the sources, who confided in one of our correspondents, said armed security personnel   would also be drafted to streets where the “persons of interest” reside.

He added, “Security agencies are working hard to ensure a hitch-free election and one of their strategies is to arrest those that may want to foment trouble; already, there is an intelligence report that some people may want to sponsor crisis but this will not be allowed; the suspects and their sponsors will be apprehended.”

Shortly after the security sources spoke, the All Progressives Congress said it was worried about the plot to arrest some of its leaders, especially Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu.

The party said it also learnt there was a move by the security agents to restrict the movement of the Director-General of its campaign organisation and Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

The APC, through its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, however expressed confidence that Nigerians would resist any attempt by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party to use security agents to harass, intimidate and arrest opposition figures during the elections.

It said, “Does Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu qualify as a troublemaker? What we are saying is that they must allow a level playing field and not resort to arbitrary arrest of political party leaders to give undue advantage to the ruling party.

“We can tell you authoritatively that we have obtained a court injunction to restrain the Chief of Army Staff and his agents from arresting   Tinubu.”

It will be recalled that some APC governors were prevented by security agents from entering Ado-Ekiti   a day to the June 21, 2014 election in Ekiti State.

The APC Presidential Campaign Organisation, Rotimi Amaechi, who was one of the     governors was reportedly harassed in Odudu, Ondo State, by armed soldiers   as he tried to enter the state capital from the Akure Airport.

The chartered plane that took him   to the Akure was detained after landing

The other governor stopped from entering     Ado-Ekiti   was Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State. A helicopter that was   take him   from Benin to Ado-Ekiti was not granted permission to take off from the Benin Airport.

When contacted on the alleged plot by security agents to clamp down on “troublemakers,” the Force Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu, said anyone who caused trouble or violence during and after the polls would be arrested.

Ojukwu, who reaffirmed the readiness of the police to raid all dark spots, added that people who refused to obey the electoral law would be treated as “troublemakers” and be made to face the law.

He however explained that no member of any political party would be targeted by the police.

Ojukwu added, “We have intelligence report on those that may want to disrupt the elections and we are going to arrest and detain them all to ensure that the election holds without any disruption or hitch.

“Our men have been adequately briefed and they will carry out their duties without bias.   Our duty is to ensure hitch-free and non – violent elections. We are going to arrest every troublemaker wherever they may be found. Anyone who does not obey the electoral law is a troublemaker and we won’t spare them.”

The Department of State Services spokesperson, Marilyn Ogar, could not be reached for comment on the issue as she did not respond to calls to her telephone.

The Defence Spokesman, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade, also could not be reached as of the time of filing this report.

Sources at the Presidency on Wednesday told one of our correspondents that there was no order by Jonathan to security agencies to arrest   or restrict the movement of any influential Nigerian during the elections.

They however said since   security agencies had the responsibility of ensuring hitch-free elections, they   were free to take steps within the ambit of the law to forestall a breakdown of law and order.

One of them said, “Do you think that the President will call security chiefs and ask them to arrest or curtail the movement of Mr. A. or Chief B during the elections?

“In the same vein, don’t you think it will be wrong for any security chief to be waiting for a directive from the President when he is confronted with something that can lead to a breakdown of law and order?”

When contacted, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity,   Reuben Abati, said the present administration believed in the rule of law and would not hunt anybody.

Abati said anybody who had not committed any offence should not be afraid of arrest.

The presidential spokesman said, “What everybody has seen is that in the build-up to this election, opposition party has been coming up with a series of lies with the hope of misleading the public.

“Each time one lie is exposed, they come up with another one. This speaks to their desperation, it speaks to their dishonesty.

“If leaders of the opposition party have not committed any offence, if they have not done anything wrong, they have no reason to be afraid of being arrested.

“Coming up with all kinds of tales to mislead the public speaks to their own dishonesty.

“The Jonathan government truly believes in the rule of law. It is not a government that will go and be haunting people for any reason.

“The President believes in free and fair elections and he has always said this. This last minute blackmail will not help anybody.

“Security agents have the constitutional responsibility to make sure that nobody engages in any act whatsoever that can derail or disrupt the electoral process.

“There are laws of the land in that regard. There are institutions that have the responsibility to make sure that nobody disrupts the electoral process.”

Also, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Olisa Metuh, ruled out the possibility of   clamping down on politicians.

Metuh told one of our correspondents on the telephone that since the   Jonathan administration believes in the rule of law and credible electoral process, no security agent would go out of his way to arrest politicians.

He said, “Our party is not under any pressure. We are confident of winning the election and since we are not running a military government, nobody would order the arrest of any politician who does not fall foul of the law.”