Former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor (retired), has called for decisive measures to be taken, including the arrest of politicians and other influential Nigerians who make inflammatory remarks that could incite violence and disrupt national peace.
This call to action follows a recent incident involving Senator Francis Fadahunsi of Osun East. In a viral video, he allegedly told his supporters to attack members of the Accord Party and their families ahead of an upcoming state governorship election. Consequently, the senator was questioned by police; he claimed that his statements were edited in such a way as to misrepresent what he actually meant.
During an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, General Irabor condemned the senator’s remarks and commended the police for their swift intervention. He stated that individuals making such provocative statements should be promptly detained, highlighting that although the senator’s comments were political in nature, they bordered on inciting violence. General Irabor supported the police’s move to summon the senator for questioning and suggested that a more thorough investigation was necessary.
Furthermore, Irabor urged the arrest of Islamic clerics Sani Jingir and Ahmad Gumi due to their history of making provocative statements. He emphasized the need to show that no one is exempt from the law and stressed that individuals must be held responsible for incendiary remarks.
General Irabor highlighted that firmly addressing individuals who incite violence would boost the morale of defense and security forces. He further connected inflammatory statements from political leaders to the need for military deployment during elections, suggesting that such deployments should be ideally avoidable.
“This issue worries not only me but also all well-intentioned Nigerians,” Irabor stated. “In the fourth republic, our aim was to steer clear of repeating past mistakes. However, some political actors’ language echoes bygone eras and necessitates military intervention to avert a potentially unmanageable security situation. The military’s role under Operation Safe Conduct acts as a deterrent rather than involving directly in election activities,” General Irabor concluded.
