forces
MOSCOW — An explosive device planted close to a residential apartment block in Moscow killed the head of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Defence Forces, Lt. General Igor Kirillov, early Tuesday, Russia’s Investigative Committee said.
Kirillov’s assistant also died in the blast, triggered by the device which was placed in a scooter, officials said.
The bomb was triggered remotely, Russian state news agency Tass reported, citing unnamed sources in the emergency services.
Russian investigators have opened a case into the two deaths, according to the committee’s spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko.
“Investigators, forensic experts and operational services are working at the scene,” she said in a statement. “Investigative and search activities are being carried out to establish all the circumstances around this crime.”
Ukraine’s Security Services on Dec. 16 charged Kirillov with the use of banned chemical weapons during Russia’s military operation in Ukraine that started in Feb. 2022.
Ukraine’s Security Service, the SBU, said that they had recorded more than 4,800 uses of chemical weapons on the battlefield since February 2022, particularly K-1 combat grenades.
In May, the U.S. State Department also said in a statement that it had recorded the use of chloropicrin, a chemical weapon first used in World War I, against Ukrainian troops.
Kirillov, who was named the head of Russia’s nuclear defense forces in April 2017, was under sanctions from several countries including the U.K. and Canada for his role in Ukraine.
During the almost 3-year operation, Russia has made small but steady territorial gains to the nearly one-fifth of Ukraine it already controls.
Light For Life: Reckitt and Wellbeing Foundation Africa join forces to combat neonatal jaundice through Project Oscar
In a bold move to combat neonatal jaundice in Nigeria, Reckitt, a global leader in health, hygiene, and nutrition, has partnered with Oscar Anderson, Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE), and the Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA) to launch Project Oscar ‘Light for Life’ initiative.
This initiative which focuses on neonatal jaundice screening, treatment, and kernicterus prevention, was officially launched at an event held on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, at the Four Points Hotel in Lagos, coinciding with the global observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
This flagship program aims to address the urgent challenges surrounding neonatal jaundice (NNJ) in Nigeria, a condition affecting approximately 60% of term neonates and up to 100% of preterm infants. NNJ remains a leading cause of preventable brain damage, including conditions like kernicterus and cerebral palsy, despite the availability of effective and affordable treatments.
Challenges such as inadequate diagnostic tools, unreliable phototherapy equipment, and widespread misconceptions about the condition continue to hinder proper management.
Project Oscar – Light For Life seeks to close these gaps by providing healthcare facilities with essential tools, such as phototherapy units and bilirubinometers, ensuring accurate diagnoses and timely treatment.
The program also includes training for healthcare professionals on recognizing and managing NNJ and raising awareness among mothers and families to dispel common myths.
Originally launched in Vietnam by young disability activist Oscar Anderson MBE and Reckitt, where it has treated over 150,000 newborns since 2019, the program is now expanding to Nigeria as part of a broader effort to reduce neonatal mortality and prevent lifelong disabilities.
This initiative aligns with global health priorities and seeks collaboration with international bodies, including the World Health Organization (WHO), to integrate NNJ management into global neonatal care guidelines.
Speaking at the event, Akbar Ali Shah, General Manager, Reckitt Sub-Saharan Africa, emphasised the urgent need for such an initiative, stating “Every child deserves a healthy start in life, yet for far too many families, neonatal jaundice remains a silent threat—often going unnoticed and untreated until it’s too late.
At Reckitt, we recognise that addressing this challenge demands more than just providing tools; it calls for steadfast commitment, robust partnerships, and comprehensive education. With Project Oscar, we are bringing these critical elements together.
As Nigeria stands among the nations most affected by neonatal jaundice, expanding Project Oscar to Nigeria represents a transformative step forward and we are determined to ensure this initiative creates a healthier, brighter future for every child born in Nigeria .”
Her Excellency Toyin Saraki, Founder and President of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, also commented saying, “It is fitting that we gather on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, this year’s theme reminds us that inclusion is not just a moral imperative but a necessity for sustainable progress and development.
Neonatal jaundice If left untreated, it can lead to kernicterus, cerebral palsy, and other severe disabilities, contributing to as much as 5–14% of neonatal deaths.
The statistics are sobering, but they also call us to action. Today, as we nationally launch Project Oscar – Light For Life, we confront this challenge with urgency and resolve, and the understanding that neonatal jaundice is not just a medical issue;
it is a matter of equity and justice.”
Oscar Anderson, whose personal journey inspired the initiative, equally shared his thoughts on the expansion of Project Oscar to Nigeria, “As someone who has lived with the consequences of neonatal jaundice, I know firsthand the pain it can cause—both for the individual and their family. This project was born out of my determination to ensure that no child or parent has to endure what my family went through.
I am excited to see this initiative, which began in my home country of Vietnam, now taking root in Nigeria, a nation where the need is greatest.
Neonatal jaundice should never be a cause of lifelong challenges. I can’t wait to see the lives we will change together in Nigeria and beyond, as we shine the light of hope and healing into communities that need it the most.”
Prof. Akin Abayomi, Commissioner for Health, Lagos State, representing the Lagos State Governor, His Excellency Babajide Sanwo-Olu, highlighted the transformative potential of Project Oscar and its significant pilot in Lagos State.
He remarked “It’s remarkable how such a simple therapy can profoundly improve life quality when timely intervention is provided. Project Oscar is a much-needed advancement in our mission to prevent neonatal jaundice and eradicate kernicterus in Lagos and across Nigeria. Lagos is honoured to be the beneficiary of this transformative initiative, and we are committed to maximizing its impact.”
As Project Oscar begins its transformative journey in Nigeria, Reckitt and Wellbeing Foundation Africa invites all stakeholders—healthcare providers, policymakers, and community leaders—to join the cause and advocate for sustainable improvements in neonatal care.
ADF STAFF
A new report confirms that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) has received repeated deliveries of weapons from Iran since December 2023, when the two countries restored diplomatic ties after an eight-year hiatus.
Researchers at the Conflict Observatory used open-source documentation to track at least seven military cargo flights from airports in Iran to Port Sudan, the wartime headquarters of the SAF and Sudan’s junta-led government overseen by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Two other flights are considered “very likely” deliveries because the planes turned off their transponders just before landing in Sudan.
The Conflict Observatory tracked flights of the Iranian 747-200 operated by Qeshm Fars Air between December 2023 and July 25, 2024. The aircraft is one of a few of its kind in operation, which makes it easy to identify in satellite images, according to researchers. It was used previously to deliver weapons to Iranian-backed fighters in Syria.
The Conflict Observatory report confirmed reports by Sudan War Monitor in January about Iranian flights landing in Port Sudan.
“The new report is much more comprehensive and details additional flights that were not previously reported elsewhere,” Sudan War Monitor researchers stated.
The first flights happened shortly before Iranian Mohajer-6 unmanned aerial vehicles were deployed against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Sudan’s battlefield. RSF fighters revealed the existence of the drones in social media posts after they shot one down in January.
“The research team could not establish alternative explanations for how new Iranian weapons appeared on the battlefield,” the Conflict Observatory reported.
International observers have accused Iran and the United Arab Emirates of exacerbating the Sudan conflict by supplying a steady stream of weapons to each side. The UAE has supplied the RSF through Chad’s Maréchal Idriss Deby International Airport in Amdjarass, according to the Conflict Observatory. The airport was significantly upgraded after the UAE provided Chad with a $1.5 billion loan.
According to observers, Iran’s renewed relations with Sudan derive from Iran’s desire to have a foothold on the Red Sea from which it could attack international shipping and threaten its regional rival, Saudi Arabia.
“Iran has exploited the Sudanese regime’s need for drone platforms, and news stories of alleged offers of additional drones and a helicopter carrier in exchange for a Port Sudan base cloud Iran’s history with Sudan,” analyst John Ringquist wrote recently in Balloons to Drones, a website specializing in the history of air power.
So far, Sudan’s leadership has refused to grant Iran port access for a military or dual-use facility.
The SAF has used its drones for intelligence-gathering and for kamikaze-style attacks on RSF positions across the country. Iranian drones, including the low-flying Ababil-3, have helped the SAF recover territory from the RSF in recent months. Sudanese military leaders told Radio Dabanga in March that drones played a decisive role in reclaiming the Omdurman neighborhood that is home to Sudan’s national broadcaster.
Observers say that SAF success with Iranian drones could drive the two countries closer together and fuel other conflicts in the region.
“It will turn the Red Sea into an arena for international confrontation, further complicating the security posture in the region and exposing international navigation to major threats,” analyst Abdal Monim Himmat wrote recently in The Arab Weekly.
The post Report: Iranian Weapon Deliveries Back Sudanese Armed Forces appeared first on Africa Defense Forum.
ADF STAFF
A convoy composed of Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) troops and Russian mercenaries rode in military vehicles, armored vehicles, trucks and pickups as they headed toward the northern town of Tinzawaten in late September.
Their mission was to recover the bodies of some of the 47 FAMa Soldiers and 84 Russian Wagner Group mercenaries killed in July during a fierce three-day battle with fighters with the al-Qaida-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) terror group and Tuareg rebels with the newly formed Strategic Framework for the Defense of the People of Azawad (CSP-DPA), according to The Africa Report.
Fought near the northern border with Algeria, the battle accounted for Russia’s biggest loss in Mali since it deployed there in December 2021 and the worst defeat for FAMa since hostilities resumed in August 2023.
“Before this ambush, the CSP-DPA and JNIM had been unable to effectively counter the Wagner Group and FAMa as they advanced toward the far north of [Tinzawaten], where many people had fled from military operations,” according to Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) analysis in August. “The successful ambush could strengthen the confidence and determination of CSP-DPA and JNIM but may also provoke a retaliatory response from Wagner forces.”
That had not happened, as of early November. Mali’s Army spokesperson Col. Maj. Souleymane Dembele told Reuters the defeat had no effect on its goal of “restoring the authority of the state throughout the country.”
Although the Malian Army maintained that the September operation’s main purpose was to recover bodies, some observers believe it was also an attempt to erase the disgrace of the July defeat.
The CSP-DPA mocked the body-recovery effort as a “forced retreat” as the Soldiers and mercenaries did not engage in battle during the nine-day operation at a time when both sides were preparing for more fighting.
“Military sources admit that retaking Tinzawaten and securing the Algerian border were important objectives but that conditions were not right to achieve these goals,” Manon Laplace and Aly Asmane Ascofaré wrote in The Africa Report.
Mali’s military junta has repeatedly pledged to restore security to the country after using the terror threat as justification for coups in 2020 and 2021, but the violence has gotten worse.
Last year, Mali recorded a 38% increase in violence targeting civilians, according to ACLED. Deadly clashes among security forces, terror groups and Tuareg rebels have continued this year and have spread to new areas, which suggests that FAMa and Russian fighters may lack resources and an appropriate strategy.
The body-recovery operation was conducted a couple of weeks after JNIM attacked a military training base and airport in Bamako, the national capital, where terror attacks are uncommon. The BBC reported that at least 60 and perhaps as many as 100 people were killed in Bamako, with another 200 or more wounded. Video shot by terrorists shows a jihadist placing a burning rag in the engine of the presidential jet, along with terrorists exploring a terminal at the airport and firing shots as they approached planes belonging to the United Nations.
Malian drones and warplanes are at the airport, which is a base for Russian mercenaries.
“Wagner has committed so many atrocities against civilians that JNIM is focusing on them in an effort to win hearts and minds,” Wassim Nasr, a Sahel specialist and senior research fellow at the Soufan Center, told The Washington Post. “And why wouldn’t they? It’s easy. It will help them recruit, and it is already helping them recruit.”
The attack unfolded on the 64th anniversary of the founding of Mali’s gendarmerie and came days after junta leader Assimi Goita said the Army had “considerably weakened armed terrorist groups,” Reuters reported. The United Nations described the incident as a “strong show of force” by JNIM and that “the attack and specific target was likely planned in advance.”
“In my personal opinion, this is seriously impacting [the junta’s] credibility on the security front,” a diplomat in Bamako told Reuters. “We’ll see how the population reacts to these events. Either they will support the regime against the jihadists or start wondering if they have the right protection they deserve.”
Jean Herve Jezequel, Sahel Project Director at International Crisis Group, said the attack was more ambitious than previous JNIM raids.
“It seems the jihadists demonstrated capacity to hold the airport for some time, possibly multiple hours, which is a huge blow,” Jezequel told Reuters. “Even if it does not ruin all the Malian Army’s efforts to redeploy these last few years, it is a serious blow that stresses the absolute need for serious adjustments in the Malian counter insurgency strategy.”
The post Malian, Russian Forces Return to Tinzawaten After Brutal Defeat appeared first on Africa Defense Forum.
ADF STAFF
Months of battlefield losses and hundreds of defections appeared to weaken Boko Haram, but it has not stopped the extremists from continuing to terrorize the Lake Chad Basin.
Experts say that because the group has shown an alarming ability to reorganize and adapt its tactics, security forces must be just as flexible and resilient.
Encompassing parts of Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria, the Lake Chad Basin has proved to be a troublesome theater with its many swamps and islands.
All four countries contribute troops to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) that recently concluded Operation Lake Sanity 2, which dismantled several terrorist hideouts.
“The [operation] resulted in the neutralization of numerous Boko Haram terrorist combatants, the successful rescue of several hostages, and the capture of arms and ammunition,” the MNJTF said in a statement on October 26, 2024.
Remadji Hoinathy and Célestin Delanga, researchers with the South Africa-based Institute for Security Studies, said that security forces must anticipate the terrorist group’s next pivot.
“Operation Lake Sanity has had some success against Boko Haram in the Lake Chad Basin, but the insurgents will soon adapt to the new military tactics,” they wrote in a September 16, 2024, article. “To sustain the gains made, the Multinational Joint Task Force leading the operation must stay ahead of these dynamics.”
After MNJTF operations, militants fled into peripheral areas, where they attacked civilians and increasingly used suicide bombers and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
“The use of vehicle-borne IEDs and those buried in the ground poses a grave risk for security forces and calls for demining operations and technologies like mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles,” the researchers wrote.
“Boko Haram’s use of IEDs and suicide attacks propagates fear and disrupts both community cohesion and military efforts. These tactics must be tackled head-on to prevent a resurgence and return of the terrorist factions.”
In its October 26, 2024, news release, the MNJTF said it “is actively engaged in stabilizing the area, providing genuine protection to civilians, and creating conditions conducive to sustainable peace and development.”
The next day, however, Boko Haram showed it still can muster the strength for large-scale attacks.
On October 27, about 300 Boko Haram fighters stormed a Chadian military base on an island called Barkaram, 5 kilometers from the border with Nigeria. The militants killed at least 40 Soldiers and their commander, seized weapons, and burned vehicles equipped with heavy arms.
Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby somberly assessed the damage the day after the attack and promised retribution.
“I have decided to launch Operation Haskanite to avenge our [Soldiers],” he said in a government video. “I would like to reassure the Chadian people that we will hunt down these lunatics. We will track them down to their last base.”
Found in the Lake Chad area and in surrounding deserts, Haskanite is a local plant known for its strength and resiliency.
With another large military operation imminent in the Lake Chad region, Hoinathy and Delanga said Chad’s neighbors and the MNJTF should focus on the ways in which Boko Haram militants adapt their tactics and break into smaller groups.
While acknowledging that large, coordinated military efforts can achieve many objectives, the researchers also called for security forces to improve their capacity for monitoring peripheral areas.
“This should include regular operations by combined forces from Lake Chad Basin countries to prevent Boko Haram from redeploying its fighters to these areas. This strategy would preserve the stability achieved in certain localities and avoid pressure from new waves of people who have been forcibly displaced,” the researchers wrote.
Providing more police and government presence in the areas surrounding Lake Chad also would help to counter security threats and build trust with communities. Nonkinetic approaches are needed as well, including humanitarian and economic assistance for those affected by violence.
“Engaging with local communities in these areas will enable intelligence gathering and create a united front against the insurgents,” they wrote. “Existing community development efforts as part of the Lake Chad Basin Commission’s regional stabilization strategy should be ramped up, including civil-military actions by the MNJTF.”
The post Shift in Boko Haram Tactics Requires Security Forces to Adapt appeared first on Africa Defense Forum.
ADF STAFF
Months of battlefield losses and hundreds of defections appeared to weaken Boko Haram, but it has not stopped the extremists from continuing to terrorize the Lake Chad Basin.
Experts say that because the group has shown an alarming ability to reorganize and adapt its tactics, security forces must be just as flexible and resilient.
Encompassing parts of Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria, the Lake Chad Basin has proved to be a troublesome theater with its many swamps and islands.
All four countries contribute troops to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) that recently concluded Operation Lake Sanity 2, which dismantled several terrorist hideouts.
“The [operation] resulted in the neutralization of numerous Boko Haram terrorist combatants, the successful rescue of several hostages, and the capture of arms and ammunition,” the MNJTF said in a statement on October 26, 2024.
Remadji Hoinathy and Célestin Delanga, researchers with the South Africa-based Institute for Security Studies, said that security forces must anticipate the terrorist group’s next pivot.
“Operation Lake Sanity has had some success against Boko Haram in the Lake Chad Basin, but the insurgents will soon adapt to the new military tactics,” they wrote in a September 16, 2024, article. “To sustain the gains made, the Multinational Joint Task Force leading the operation must stay ahead of these dynamics.”
After MNJTF operations, militants fled into peripheral areas, where they attacked civilians and increasingly used suicide bombers and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
“The use of vehicle-borne IEDs and those buried in the ground poses a grave risk for security forces and calls for demining operations and technologies like mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles,” the researchers wrote.
“Boko Haram’s use of IEDs and suicide attacks propagates fear and disrupts both community cohesion and military efforts. These tactics must be tackled head-on to prevent a resurgence and return of the terrorist factions.”
In its October 26, 2024, news release, the MNJTF said it “is actively engaged in stabilizing the area, providing genuine protection to civilians, and creating conditions conducive to sustainable peace and development.”
The next day, however, Boko Haram showed it still can muster the strength for large-scale attacks.
On October 27, about 300 Boko Haram fighters stormed a Chadian military base on an island called Barkaram, 5 kilometers from the border with Nigeria. The militants killed at least 40 Soldiers and their commander, seized weapons, and burned vehicles equipped with heavy arms.
Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby somberly assessed the damage the day after the attack and promised retribution.
“I have decided to launch Operation Haskanite to avenge our [Soldiers],” he said in a government video. “I would like to reassure the Chadian people that we will hunt down these lunatics. We will track them down to their last base.”
Found in the Lake Chad area and in surrounding deserts, Haskanite is a local plant known for its strength and resiliency.
With another large military operation imminent in the Lake Chad region, Hoinathy and Delanga said Chad’s neighbors and the MNJTF should focus on the ways in which Boko Haram militants adapt their tactics and break into smaller groups.
While acknowledging that large, coordinated military efforts can achieve many objectives, the researchers also called for security forces to improve their capacity for monitoring peripheral areas.
“This should include regular operations by combined forces from Lake Chad Basin countries to prevent Boko Haram from redeploying its fighters to these areas. This strategy would preserve the stability achieved in certain localities and avoid pressure from new waves of people who have been forcibly displaced,” the researchers wrote.
Providing more police and government presence in the areas surrounding Lake Chad also would help to counter security threats and build trust with communities. Nonkinetic approaches are needed as well, including humanitarian and economic assistance for those affected by violence.
“Engaging with local communities in these areas will enable intelligence gathering and create a united front against the insurgents,” they wrote. “Existing community development efforts as part of the Lake Chad Basin Commission’s regional stabilization strategy should be ramped up, including civil-military actions by the MNJTF.”
The post Shift in Boko Haram Tactics Requires Security Forces to Adapt appeared first on Africa Defense Forum.
Former federal lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, HAS the notion that some forces may be behind banditry and other activities of terrorism in the country may be true.
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP chieftain made the observation in a post on his official X handle on Sunday.
Shehu Sani asserted that despite the huge ransom being collected by the daredevil bandits, they have remained wretched and dirty.
He said, “Despite the billions of ransom payments received by Bandits in the North, they remain wretched and poor.
“Whenever they get arrested, they look famished, dirty and destitute”.
According to the former lawmaker, “this gives credence to the conjecture that they are front for some bigger invisible and invincible forces.”
Ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State, the first batch of the 35,000 police officers deployed to ensure law and order during election has arrived in the state, The PUNCH has learnt.
Also in the state are soldiers and officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission as moves intensify to ensure a hitch-free poll.
Seventeen political parties presented candidates for the poll but the All Progressives Congress candidate Senator Monday Okpebholo, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party are the leading contenders ahead of the ballot.
The Defence Headquarters said the deployment of soldiers was meant to guarantee a safe environment for the electorate during the election.
Speaking in an interview with The PUNCH, the Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, said the military would take steps to ensure the election was devoid of violence.
He said, “During elections troops are required to provide security in order to encourage high voter turnout as well as ensure the safety of voters. The forthcoming election in Edo will not be an exception. The military is resolute on taking steps to ensure a hitch-free election in Edo State.”
Soldiers patrol Benin
On Tuesday, armed soldiers were visible on the streets of Benin City, the state capital. An army truck with soldiers patrolled the Government Reservation Road, Ring Road and Akpakpava Road axis, apparently to announce their presence in the state.
The military presence has raised concerns after a Federal High Court in Lagos ruled in 2015 that the Nigerian Armed Forces had no role in the conduct of elections in the country.
The court relied on a Court of Appeal ruling that barred the use of soldiers in the conduct of elections, stating that it was a violation of Section 217(2)(c) of the Constitution and Section 1 of the Armed Forces Act.
Security expert, Taofik Onigbanjo, said the presence of the military personnel would deter thugs and miscreants from planning to foment trouble on or before Election Day but cautioned against using the soldiers to intimidate the state residents.
“The military presence is good to discourage those who are may want to cause trouble on before the election. I have seen the soldiers in several areas in town and their presence will be good for the smooth conduct of the election,” Onigbanjo said.
“However, the election should not be too militarised so that it will not appear like voters, party leaders and others are being intimidated because this can put a question mark on the credibility of the election.”
In a similar move, the first batch of the 35,000 police officers deployed for the election by the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, arrived in the Edo State capital on Tuesday. Spokesman of the Edo State Police Command, Moses Yamu, told The PUNCH that the Deputy Inspector-General that would supervise security for the election was being expected.
He said, “I can tell you that the officers that will join those in the Edo Police Command started arriving today (Tuesday). The DIG supervising the election will brief the media when he arrives in Benin soon.”
The NSCDC also deployed 6,433 personnel to ensure a peaceful and secure electoral process in the state.
The PUNCH learnt that the officers would arrive in Edo on Thursday.
The corps spokesperson, Afolabi Babawale, explaining the breakdown, stated, “The NSCDC will draw officers from neighbouring states, including 300 from Ondo, Delta (300), Kogi (300), Imo (300), Rivers (400), Bayelsa (350) and 250 officers from Enugu.
“Edo State will contribute 3,626 officers to the operation. Additionally, 607 special forces, including intelligence squads, anti-vandal units, and specialised security teams will be mobilised from the NSCDC national headquarters.”
He further stated that the Commandant-General of the NSCDC, Ahmed Audi, urged officers to remain neutral, professional, and disciplined throughout the election.
Babawale added that officers had been strategically deployed to flashpoints and potentially volatile areas to maintain law and order.
He added, “Security personnel will work in collaboration with other agencies to secure polling units, collation centres, and sensitive areas across the state.”
There’ve been fears that the economic hardship in the country could induce vote trading and buying in the poll.
The Transition Monitoring Group, a coalition of over 400 human rights organisation, which trained 100 observers for the election, last week called on the EFCC to deploy enough personnel to monitor vote buying and selling in polling units.
In June, EFCC chairman, Ola Olukoyede, during a Town Hall meeting on voter’s sensitisation in Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area and at the Famcoop Hall, University of Benin, warned against vote buying and selling in the forthcoming election.
The EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, said the deployment had been made but didn’t disclose the figure.
He said, “We have deployed our officers to monitor the elections. The officers are in appreciable numbers.”
A Benin resident, Mallam Hassan Alabidun, said vote buying could only be reduced but not completely eradicated, adding that gifts or provision of refreshments on Election Day could sway votes and change the mind of voters.
He said, “Vote- buying is not all about giving money to the electorate. We see party agents buying refreshments for voters on Election Day and that is also a form of vote buying because that gesture can sway votes the way of the candidate the agents represent.
“We also see that after voting party agents give money to people who they can confirm voted for their candidates. These are not new and it is expected to happen in this election.”
Chairman of the Edo State chapter of the Conference of Registered Political Parties, Samson Isibor, admitted that it would be difficult to reject some of the offers but urged the electorate to collect the money and vote their conscience.
He said, “For me, this is an unwelcomed development, any political party that wants to buy votes does not mean well for the people and the state. What they are engaging in is transactional politics, where buying and selling of votes becomes the order of the day.
“We do not want politics to degenerate into this. Those who buy votes are not coming to serve the people. You don’t need to buy votes from people you want to serve. All you have to do is sell your manifesto to them.
“I will urge the people to be careful with these types of politicians who are bent on getting to power by hook or crook. They are very dangerous and cannot be trusted. My advice to the people is to collect the money, which is theirs in the first place, and vote their conscience.
“The people should please not mortgage their conscience and lives. There is economic problem in the country, which has resulted into lack of food, so don’t further put yourselves into trouble by selling your votes.”
2.2 million voters
Meanwhile, INEC on Tuesday announced that out of 2,629,025 registered voters in Edo State, 2,249,780 Permanent Voter’s Cards were collected ahead of the election.
The National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, disclosed this in a statement.
He noted that the collected PVCs represent 85.57 per cent of the total, with 379,245 PVCs, or 14.43 perc ent still uncollected as of the extended deadline on Sunday September 15, 2024.
The statement read, “Nigerians may recall that the commission recently announced that the total number of registered voters in Edo State is 2,629,025.
“Out of this figure, 2,249,780 (85.57 per cent) have collected their Permanent Voters’ Cards while 379,245 (14.43 per cent) of the PVCs are uncollected as at the end of the extended period for PVC collection on Sunday, 15th September 2024.
“Consequently, the commission is making available data on PVC collection on Polling Unit basis in Edo State ahead of the Governorship election holding this weekend.
“There are 4,519 Polling Units in the State. Voting will take place in each unit. The detailed breakdown of the number of PVCs collected, as well as the number uncollected in each unit, has been uploaded to our website for guidance of political parties, candidates and public information,” the statement read.
INEC commenced the collection of the PVCs by newly registered voters on August 22 to 26, 2024 at ward level, after which the collection moved to Local Government offices from August 28 to September 8, 2024.
The commission later extended the deadline for the collection of PVCs by three days following an appeal from stakeholders.
The extension ran from September 13 to September 15, 2024 at INEC offices across the state’s 18 Local Government Areas.
The electoral commission told The PUNCH that all the non-sensitive materials for the poll had been delivered and batched.
The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, who disclosed this to The PUNCH on Tuesday, said the sensitive materials were at the Central Bank and would be distributed this week ahead of the election.
He said, “All the non-sensitive materials for the election have already been delivered and batched. All activities and movements connected to them are being monitored on our special platform. The INEC chairman was in Edo State last week on a Readiness Assessment Visit to inspect some of the materials and was given a progress report among other activities he undertook.
“The sensitive materials are at the Central Bank, Benin-City and will be distributed this week. Party agents, observers, the media and security agents will be invited to witness the process.”
Oyekanmi also said that INEC was working to get materials to riverine areas on time by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, who will use motorised boats to get materials and the commission’s officials to the riverine areas.
“It was in recognition of the peculiar challenges of delivering electoral materials to some of the riverine areas in Edo State that the commission signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria. We have the assurance that the adequate number of motorized boats that we requested for will be deployed for that purpose.”
Meanwhile, Governor Godwin Obaseki has warned civil servants in the state that they would become the first victims, should the opposition win Saturday’s governorship election.
“Those who want to take over power by all means are uneducated and have never worked in any better place. My message to you is that it’s a risk we can’t afford. It’s not about Obaseki but democracy and development,” Obaseki said during a meeting with the civil servants on Tuesday.
“The risk is allowing people without ideas of what to do to lead, people who can’t even articulate their ideas, people who can’t read a balance sheet. They can’t offer us anything but all they talk about is federal might and others.
“Edo will face a major risk if you miss it on Saturday. Any mistake you make will affect you first before others. You will be the first victim.”
PDP governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, said one of the worst things that could happen to a people was a leadership that they won’t be proud of.
“Edo State will never be like that. When we vote for the wrong person, we go into retrogression and the economy will crash. Edo will not be so,” he said.
Ighodalo’s wife, Ifeyinwa, embarked on a roadshow in Benin City to drum support for her husband.
The roadshow, which kicked off from the National Museum, had women in large numbers in attendance, especially from the Arewa community in the state and from Oredo, Ikpoba Okha and Egor LGAs respectively.
“I come to you to tell you that my husband will support all Edo People, including the market women. A vote for him is not a wasted one,” Ifeyinwa said.