Ondo Gov Poll: APC Alleges Presence Of Fake Soldiers

By Ayodele Oni

Less than 24 hours to Saturday’s Governorship Election in Ondo State, the Idanre Local Government Chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has raised an alarm on alleged importation of fake soldiers to different rural communities of the local government.

A chieftain of the APC in Idanre, Kolawole Olomola said the soldiers were allegedly imported into Idanre by a known PDP chieftain.

This is just as the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) announced deployment of 6,000 personnel to ensure a secure and peaceful environment for the Ondo State governorship election.

The APC leader added that the fake soldiers were seen riding on scores of motorcycles around 1:00pm. He further said that the fake soldiers are now hibernating at the rural communities of Idanre.

Kolawole further alleged that he had received reports from rural community leaders of Idanre that fake soldiers had been sighted and hibernating in their communities.

He also talked of the panic that the fake soldiers are causing in the rural communities of Idanre.

The APC chieftain further claimed that it has been ascertained through local intelligence that the fake soldiers were allegedly imported to Idanre to intimidate APC supporters, and to also disrupt peaceful conduct of the governorship election in the rural communities of Idanre.

Kolawole however expressed deep worry on the dastard plans of the well known PDP chieftain in Idanre.

He reiterated that plan of the PDP chieftain was to intimidate, maim, kill and prevent the people of Idanre from coming out peacefully to vote for the governorship candidate of their choice.

Kolawole has therefore called on all the relevant security agencies to immediately mobilize their personnel to the rural communities of Idanre, to dislodge the fake soldiers.

He lamented that the peace loving people of Idanre were only looking forward to a peaceful and credible election, and not political violence

“I am calling on the relevant security agencies to immediately come to the rescue of the peace loving people of Idanre. The needful must be done to dislodged, arrested and prosecuted these fake soldiers. We are peace loving people in Idanre, and we are only craving for a peace election, and not war from fake soldiers”, Kolawole lamented.

NSCDC stated that thedeployment is part of the corps’ efforts to guarantee a free, fair, and credible election process, according to Commandant General, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, the NSCDC is fully prepared to contribute to the success of the election.

The  personnel will include specialized units such as the Special Female Squad, Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), Agro Rangers Unit, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives Unit (CBRNE), K-9 Unit, Marine Unit, and Election Monitoring Unit (EMU).

These units will provide comprehensive security coverage across Ondo’s 18 Local Government Areas, 203 Wards, and 3,933 Polling Units.

Philip Ayuba, Officer in charge of the election, emphasized the importance of providing a secure environment for voters to exercise their rights.

He noted that the NSCDC has made adequate arrangements to prevent any disruptions and ensure the protection of utilities. Ayuba also appreciated the role of the press, acknowledging the Police as the lead agency and the NSCDC as a sister agency.

“The NSCDC’s deployment is not limited to election-day security; personnel will also safeguard critical national assets and infrastructure, secure INEC officials and ad hoc staff, and monitor the entire election process until the results are announced.

“The Intelligence and Investigation Department will focus on preventing political violence and curbing potential election-related unrest.

“In conclusion, the NSCDC’s deployment demonstrates its commitment to ensuring a peaceful and credible election in Ondo State. With a strong presence across the state, the corps is well-prepared to address any security challenges that may arise during the election.”