Crime

Soldiers arrest men, cars loaded with guns in Abuja

Published

5 years ago

March 6, 2021

Editor

Two vehicles carrying caches of rifles and some men have been arrested and detained by soldiers manning checkpoints in Abuja.

The suspects were arrested Thursday at the Kuje area based on military intelligence by the 176 Battalion, Gwagwalada.

According to Sahara ReportersSaharaReporters learnt that the Fulani suspects were nabbed by troops of 176 Battalion, Gwagwalada.

A source said the suspects were still undergoing interrogation after which they would be handed over to the police for prosecution.

“They hid several locally made weapons inside their Golf car. Some of the residents of the area provided intelligence to the military,” the online newsportal quoted the source as saying.

“They are still being quizzed on how they got their weapons, where they were heading and what other crimes they had committed,” the source explained.

President Muhammadu Buhari has given a shoot-at-sight order to anybody bearing AK-47 and other dangerous weapons.

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Vote-buying remains a major concern One of the strongest warnings from Osun was the continued presence of vote-buying and voter inducement. Yiaga Africa said the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were consistent with its independent statistical projections, but cautioned that this did not remove concerns about the integrity of voters' choices amid reports of vote-buying and inducement. The concern is particularly significant ahead of 2027, when political competition will take place nationwide and involve presidential, National Assembly and state-level contests. The International Republican Institute (IRI), following a pre-election assessment mission conducted in August, identified monetised political competition, election-related violence, insecurity and declining public confidence in INEC among the structural challenges facing the 2027 elections. IRI recommended stronger investigation and prosecution of vote-buying and voter inducement, urging INEC, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and security agencies to act on credible allegations. Technology improves transparency — but has limits The Osun election also demonstrated how electoral technology can improve transparency. INEC's electronic transmission of polling-unit results through the IReV platform provided observers and members of the public with a mechanism to monitor uploaded results. Yiaga Africa subsequently said the official results were consistent with its independent statistical estimates, describing the outcome as evidence that the announced results reflected the ballots counted at polling units. However, technical problems with BVAS were reported during voting. CDD said difficulties involving biometric verification and slow processing occurred in several LGAs, including Irepodun, Ejigbo, Obokun, Osogbo, Olorunda, Ola Oluwa, Ede North and Ede South. These problems underline the need for INEC to ensure that electoral technology is not only available but also reliable, properly tested and supported by effective backup systems. Security remains another test for 2027 Although voting was generally peaceful, isolated incidents of violence and disruption were reported during the Osun poll. CDD called for security agencies to maintain political neutrality, investigate reported incidents and protect voters regardless of their political affiliation. IRI has similarly warned that insecurity and election-related violence could undermine meaningful political participation in 2027. Its assessment noted that more than 81 election-related violent incidents had been recorded in Osun in the year preceding the governorship election, with violence increasing as Election Day approached. 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With Nigeria's 2027 general elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, the Osun experience provides both a warning and an opportunity: the country has made progress in electoral transparency, but vote-buying, insecurity and declining trust must be confronted before they are magnified across a nationwide election.

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Soldiers arrest men, cars loaded with guns in Abuja

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Soldiers arrest men, cars loaded with guns in Abuja

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