NSCDC Cautions Youths Against Violence and Thuggery Ahead of Council Polls

With barely 48hrs to the conduct of polls in the 23 Local Government Councils in Kaduna State, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has cautioned youths in the state to avoid violence and acts of thuggery.

The polls which is slated for 12th ofMay, 2018, the state command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has called on youth to eschew violence and shun political thuggery even as it warned that, perpetrators of such acts will be arrested and sanctioned accordingly.

In a statement issued by the Public Relations Officer of the Command, ASC Orndiir Terzungwe, on behalf of the Commandant of the Corps in the state, Alhaji Modu Bunu, declared the readiness of the command to provide water-tight security before, during and after elections.

According to the statement, "the command, in collaboration with sister agencies has mapped out strategies on how to ensure safety of election materials and security of lives of electorate and officials".

"The corps, in synergy with other agencies, has made arrangements to ensure security of lives at polling units, collation centres and the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIECOM) offices across the state as well as protection of sensitive election materials", Bunu explained.

"In doing so, we are going to deploy over 6,000 officers and men of the Command in addition to reinforcement from neighbouring states like Kano, Zamfara, Plateau, Nasarawa, Niger and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT", the Commandant added.

Alhaji Bunu maintained that, in order to have a hitch-free election exercise, officers and men of the corps have been briefed on how to behave, reiterating that anything short of that, will not be accepted.

Among the officers addressed for the purpose of the polls by the NSCDC helmsman are Heads of Departments, Area Commanders, Divisional Officers and Heads of Units and Outposts, while also warning that, "anyone found sabotaging efforts of the corps will face the full wrath of the law".

"Notwithstanding however, we urge community and political leaders, traditional rulers and other opinion leaders to assist by sensitizing their subjects or followers, against acts inimical to peaceful conduct of elections", the statement concluded.