‘Military personnel face pressure through inducements to compromise 2023 elections’

The Nigerian military says it is facing consistent pressure to compromise the 2023 elections.

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, however, assured Nigerians on Thursday that it would remain neutral.

Irabor spoke at the 61st session of the State House Ministerial Briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

He said, “Military personnel face pressure through inducements, but the armed forces will remain apolitical as it is taking the necessary measures to ensure compliance with the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) to maintain neutrality.

“Personnel are being trained to be more professional even as the rules of engagement have been codified for distribution before, during and after the elections.”

The CDS also revealed that several military rescue operations and negotiations had led to the freeing of at least 300,000 people from the hands of their abductors since 2014, while refugees who fled the North-East due to insurgency, had started to return home.

He said former insurgents, now being trained, would graduate in February next year before their reintegration into society.

He added that the military was recruiting more personnel into all branches of the security services.

The goal, Irabor said, was to increase the number of on-the-ground personnel to combat insurgency and banditry and curtail oil theft which would eventually lead to increased crude oil production.