For security agencies, the saying that a critical challenge, demands a critical solution is more apt, particularly with regards to the attack on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) facilities in the country, and indeed, in the South East.

Between 2019 and 2022, there have been 51 incidents of attacks on INEC Offices in 15 states. This year alone, there have been nine incidents in five States with four of such attacks occurring in Imo state, two in Enugu state and one in Ebonyi state.

But like an African saying that says when a child decides to die during a dry season, his parents too would device a means of burying it at the river – bank; the nation’s security agencies would not treat the hoodlums with kid gloves any longer.

The Inter – Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), may have doubled down efforts to halt the madness. As a body, the Inter – Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) brings together security, safety and other agencies responsible for securing the process and ensuring peaceful elections in Nigeria.

At an emergency ICCES meeting on 11th November, this year, a day after hoodlums attacked one of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s ( INEC) facilities in Abeokuta South Local Government Area, Ogun state, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu told the meeting that ;”Nigerians expect a decisive action from ICCES . It is important that we move swiftly to apprehend perpetrators, prosecute them as required by law and reinforce security around election officials and electoral infrastructure around the country.

“As we have stated on several occasions, election is a multi-stakeholder activity involving not just INEC and the security agencies. The political class plays perhaps the most critical role in ensuring peaceful elections. We must all rise to the occasion. Nigerians are watching us. The world is watching us. We must never disappoint them,” he warned.

On the 18th of November, 2022 at a meeting with leaders of the 18 political parties taking part in the 2023 elections, the Inspector General of Police ( IGP) Usman Alkali Baba said: “On our part, and as an outcome of the ICCES meeting, the Nigeria Police Force working in collaboration with other security agencies have resolved to enhance intelligence gathering, share and utilise same to stem acts of political violence; upscale the deployment of security teams to all INEC assets and facilities nationwide with teams drawn from the police, Nigerian Army, Department of State Services, Nigeria Civil and Security Defence Corps and the Federal Fire Service to take decisive lawful action against purveyors of hate speech, incitement to violence, mobilisation of thugs and other violations, including the prompt arrest, investigation, and prosecution of offenders in line with the provisions of Sections 92 and 93 of the Electoral Act 2022 as amended”.

Not done yet, the IGP went to Ebonyi state where on 27th of November, 2022, hoodlums attacked another INEC Facility at Izzi Local Government Area and ordered Police officers and men to deal decisively with the armed men and protect all INEC offices in the country against attack.

The IGP who noted that policing in a democracy was a very herculean task lamented the destruction of some INEC offices in the country and urged policemen to rise to the challenges and stem the tide. He urged policemen to shun partisanship and provide level playing ground for all politicians and voters in the 2023 general elections.

“There are some INEC offices that have been burnt. Make it your primary responsibility and protect INEC facilities. The facilities must be protected with your strength, with whatever arsenal you have and where it is necessary if it intends to relocate those offices to a safer place, you need to do that.

“Then in a few months’ time, the 2023 general election will be held. The police is at the fore front of maintaining law and order. There must be level playing ground for politicians to go their lawful businesses of campaigns and rallies and looking for votes.

“We want you to provide an enabling environment for all of them to go about looking for supporters. In other words, you have to provide enabling environment for voters to exercise their franchise and also for politicians to play the game by the rules and that is why we have just developed a very small code of conduct for you that will be distributed to you, you must adhere strictly to the code of conduct.

“The role of security agents in providing security is a very herculean task. I urge you to shun politics, avoid any primordial sentiment and ensure that you provide level playing ground for members of the public to exercise their franchise. Don’t involve yourself in anything that is not professional or ethical”.

The IGP is not alone in the task of creating an enabling environment for peace in the country, his counterpart, the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps ( NSCDC), Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi said ;” the government is in control of the security architecture of the country and has recorded meaningful progress in the fight against insecurity to a large extent. Security agencies have also taken firm grip of the security situation, we are not going to allow things to slide.

“The need to be seriously conscious of our immediate environment at all time should not re-echo again and again before we understand that credible information and tipoffs given to security agencies is a major component in fighting insecurity. Just like the way a secured and enabling environment boosts investor’s confidence, the same way a safe domain is key to the turnout of voters and credibility of the poll”, he warned.

Audi said those pockets of threats and security challenges in the areas where INEC facilities have been attacked may be raising concerns but would be surmounted before the election year. He said officers and men of the Corps are being trained for civil and tactical approaches; “they know the importance of good conducts and display of professionalism before, during and after elections”, he stressed.

According to Dr. Audi, “as the lead agency in the protection of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure, there is need to ensure that those critical assets are not vandalized by criminal elements before, during and after elections, hence, massive deployment of personnel to maintain 24 hours surveillance in all key points across the country.

“To ensure effective policing of the country, the Corps is engaging all its specialised departments and units to assert security in the Nation even prior to the election year and the CG’S Special Intelligence Squad (CG’s SIS) is fierce in its mandate of fighting all forms of security challenges and sabotage of our national security with arrests of bandits, kidnappers, terrorists, vandals, oil thieves, gun runners, fake dollars syndicates among others.

Another key agency in the security infrastructure, the Department of State Services ( DSS) has started receiving commendations from federal legislators on its efforts at crime reduction ahead of 2023 election. Two weeks ago, the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence led by its Chairman Sha’aban Sharada (ADP, Kano), gave the nation’s secret police kudos for reducing crime and criminality.

Hear him: “It is significant to note that the level of crime, especially kidnapping, banditry and terrorism has reduced considerably despite approaching the 2023 general election due to his inclusive approach of utilising stakeholders’ input in the delivery of its statutory mandate of the service”.

On 12th of December 2022 when the Imo state Headquarters, Owerri was attacked by hoodlums, they met the fire power of ICCES as three of hoodlums were felled and two of them captured alive. It is believed that with proper handling, those caught alive would give a clue as to the sources and sponsors of the dastardly acts especially in the south east.

Without any doubt, democracy, which is defined as the government of the people by the people and for the people is better than any other system of government. In a democracy, election is expressed as the formal display of preferences by the governed, either secretly or openly, with the aggregation of the choices collated and transformed into collective decision on who governs based on the majority of the votes cast. It is a process whereby the adult citizens (above 18) choose their representative to govern them.

But like Dr Audi rightly observed in a public lecture delivered at a security conference organised by the Peoples Security Monitor, it is a fact that: ” the integrity of any election can be determined by the security situation at any given time as the electorate go about choosing their leaders freely without let or hindrance”. It is logical and rational to hold that agitations are best pursued when there is peace, and law and order reign supreme.