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Service chiefs plan shake-up, fine-tune strategies to combat insurgency
The new service chiefs are putting finishing touches to a raft of strategies to revamp the counterinsurgency operations in the North-East as a step towards an earnest routing of the terror cartels in the area.
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said on Thursday in Abuja that the Chief of Defence Staff, Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor, and his colleagues had been brainstorming on fashioning a new approach to combating the insurgents in line with the marching orders given them by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Coordinator of the Directorate of Defence Media Operations (DDMO), Maj. Gen. John Enenche, told reporters that part of the new approach includes carrying out a major shake-up in the military, which will entail personnel, operational and logistics changes.
Enenche spoke barely 48 hours after the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Oladayo Amao, announced the presidential directive to the service chiefs to crush the insurgency.
Amao, during a tour of military formations in the North-east, including Sector 3 Operation Lafiya Dole (OPLD) and the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), on Tuesday, had said in Maiduguri that the president routed the order through Irabor for them to come up with new strategies to subdue the insurgents.
He stated that he had meetings with the other service chiefs leading to the continuing tour of the military formations.
“Mr. President had given the Chief of Defence Staff, along with the service chiefs, the onerous task of bringing the war against insurgency to a decisive end in order to restore normalcy to all troubled parts of the country,” he added.
He stated that they had already begun to “take action in this regard, holding several meetings to evolve strategies for better synergy in the joint operations.”
However, shedding more light on the impending dispensation in the fight against insurgency, Enenche said in formulating the new counterinsurgency approach, the service chiefs had visited the North-east to meet minds with theatre commanders and other critical stakeholders in the epicentre of the insurgency.
According to him, the service chiefs, having interacted with troops and commanders are working on new strategies aimed at ensuring victory for the armed forces.
He said, “You are all aware of the recent changes in the leadership of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. There is no doubt the changes would usher in new modus operandi for tackling the security challenges in the country.
“The service chiefs, on assumption of duties, immediately hit the ground running by conducting an operational visit to the North-east. They have also visited some operational areas in the country to interact with troops and commanders in the field in the various theatres.
“The visit is aimed at ensuring that the military high command comes up with new ways and means of tackling the security challenges.”
On the expected shake-up Enenche said there would be changes in “all strata of the military in view of the change of service chiefs.
“There would be more re-organisation of military units. Change of service chiefs will bring about changes and new modus operandi and logistics.
“In line with the re-organisation of the Armed Forces of Nigeria with the appointment of new service chiefs, the operations of the armed forces are equally being reorganised to tackle the security challenges in the country effectively.”
Enenche stated that the service chiefs had commenced action at all levels.
“These include carrying out strategic, administrative, operational and logistics adjustments, changes and reviews, to improve the security situation in the country.
“As such, all stakeholders are requested to give maximum support to the Armed Forces of Nigeria under the leadership of the Chief of Defence Staff,” he said.
The Defence Headquarters also solicited the support of Nigerians for the efforts of the military in tackling security challenges confronting the nation.
“Our collective efforts are essential in the fight against the various security vices in the country. The military high command reassures the general public of its untiring dedication towards securing the country.
“Members of the general public are enjoined to continue providing timely information on the activities of criminals in their various localities to the military and other security agencies for prompt and effective action,” he added.
He said the military had sustained aerial and ground offensives in the various theatres of war in the North-east, North-west and other geo-political zones.
“The gallant troops within the period in focus carried out several land and air operations. These include clearance and ambush operations as well as aggressive ground and aerial patrols in order to ensure the security of lives and property within the zones,” he stated.
News
[UPDATED] [Breaking] APC’s Lucky Aiyedatiwa wins Ondo governorship election
[UPDATED] [Breaking] APC’s Lucky Aiyedatiwa wins Ondo governorship election
Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate, has emerged victorious in the Ondo governorship election.
Olayemi Akinwumi, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) returning officer, disclosed the results in Akure, Ondo’s capital, on Sunday.
Aiyedatiwa, the incumbent governor, secured 366,781 votes, surpassing Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 117,845 votes.
Nejo Adeyemi, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, trailed behind with 4,138 votes.
The APC dominated the election, winning all 18 local government areas, while the PDP failed to secure any victories.
The off-cycle election in Ondo, contested by 17 candidates, took place peacefully, with minimal violence reported.
Prior to the election, Aiyedatiwa expressed confidence in his victory, citing his impressive record in office.
Aiyedatiwa emphasized that he was the sole candidate to have visited all 18 local government areas, adding that he’s willing to concede defeat if the election is free from manipulation.
Ajayi, Aiyedatiwa’s closest rival, expressed concerns regarding INEC’s capability to ensure a fair electoral process.
The PDP candidate also criticized the commission’s sluggish pace, alleging that it constitutes a “deliberate attempt to rig the polls”.
ONDO STATE GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION RESULTS (UPDATED)
1– Akure North
APC 14, 451
PDP 5, 787
2–Okitipupa
- APC 26, 811
- PDP 10, 233
3—Akoko Northeast
APC 25, 657
News
Ondo election: Again, INEC shifts collation of results to noon
Ondo election: Again, INEC shifts collation of results to noon
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has shifted the collation of results for the Ondo State governorship election from 5am to noon.
The Returning Officer, Prof Olayemi Akinwunmi, had earlier announced that collation of the remaining five council areas will resume by 5 a.m. (Sunday), but later said it commences by noon.
Prof Akinwunmi is the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Lokoja.
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Akinwunmi, who announced the recess, said it is to give room for the arrival of results from the remaining council areas.
He said: “We have five more local governments but we are going to take our recess now until 5am to receive some receive from Akure North, Okitipupa and Odigbo, then Ilaje and Eseodo. We resume 5am for these local governments.”
According to results from 13 of the 18 local government areas announced so far by INEC, Aiyedatiwa has polled 259,851 votes ahead of his closest rival and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Agboola Ajayi, who scored 81,031 votes.
Ondo election: Again, INEC shifts collation of results to noon
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Ondo gov: PDP, APC bought votes, says rights group
Ondo gov: PDP, APC bought votes, says rights group
The Centre for Democracy and Development West Africa (CDD-West Africa), through its Election Analysis Centre (CDD-EAC), has said that the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) bought votes from the electorate for as low as N3,000 and N5,000 respectively during the Saturday’s off-cycle governorship election in Ondo State.
Prof. Victor Adetula, Lead, CDD-EAC Observation Mission Ondo 2024; and Dr. Dauda Garuba, Director, CDD-West Africa, said this in CDD’s EAC preliminary statement on the conduct of the 2024 Ondo State governorship election, presented by Ms Oluseyi Awojulugbe, a member of the CDD-EAC.
The report also said that the election recorded lower incidents of disinformation and information manipulation, also referred to as fake new compared to the recently concluded off-cycle September 21 governorship election in Edo State.
“CDD-EAC notes a lot of instances of vote buying. In Okitipupa LGA, Ward 09, Unit 003 (Irowa, Ilutitun 3), voters were solicited for their votes, with APC allegedly offering ₦10,000 per voter and PDP ₦3,000.
“In Odigbo LGA, Ward 01, Unit 001 (Oja Baale, Agbabu), reports of vote-buying were noted, with APC allegedly offering ₦10,000 and PDP ₦5,000 per voter.
“Our observers also noted that some party agents started transferring money to voters to circumvent having to hold cash. In Ese-Odo, Ward 07, Unit 013 (Tari Ama Zion Ugo Community, Arogbo Ward 2), Vote-buying was observed at this polling unit, with PDP offering ₦3,000 and APC offering ₦5,000 to voters.
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“CDD observers watching the process in Ward 5, PU 001, located at St Johns Primary School, Iba Akoko South East spotted APC leaders writing down the names of those who voted for their candidate.
“Subsequently, a card was given to them and they were instructed to converge at an agreed location where cash would be disbursed to them.
“In Ward 005, PU 001, St Barnabas Primary School, Ifon, CDD-EAC observers saw policemen arguing over money shared by a party stalwart.
“The policemen reportedly frowned that about 10 of them were given N100,000 while only one official from another branch of the armed services allegedly got N15,000,” the report said.
The CDD-EAC said that the vote buying incidents and behaviour of party agents sparked multiple conflicts during the voting process, listing Idanre LGA, Ward 06, PU 004 (Methodist High School), where APC agents were accused of strategically monitoring voters’ choices, a move initially defended by security officials but later curtailed after protests.
The report, however, commended the prompt arrival of electoral officials at polling units (PUs), with 99% of CDD-EAC observers reporting that the INEC officials were at their stations before 8:30am.
Observers also reported cases of rowdiness in the polling environment with some youths disagreeing in some cases about the initiative by poll officials to allow elderly voters to cast their ballots first, leading to the disruption of the process, despite the intervention of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) at Post Office Premises, Akungba Akoko, Akoko South West.
On disinformation and information manipulation, the report said that the numbers of false narratives, claims and counter claims in the Ondo State governorship election have been relatively low, compared to other recent polls.
It said, “In the campaign period, and on Election Day, 13 claims have so far been reported and fact checked by CDD War Room.
“This is low, compared to the 61 claims reported during the same period in the Edo election, representing a 79% increase between the two elections. While 12 of these claims have been assessed to be either false or misleading, the sole claim peddled on voting day was adjudged to be true.”
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