BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI
ABUJA—Ahead of the April general elections, Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof Attahiru Jega, unfolded yesterday a framework for security agencies during the elections.

Under the framework, the Nigeria Police, Army, Navy, Airforce, SSS and Para-military organisations were given specified tasks to carry out under the coordination of the National Security Adviser, which ultimately is expected to create the atmosphere for free, fair and credible elections.

The roadmap of the framework released by Prof. Jega at the first COAS quarterly conference 2011 shows that the NSA is responsible for contacting service chiefs to assist INEC; increase security surveillance during election; monitor the performance of security agencies and dissuade public officials from misusing details attached to them for security ends.

The Nigeria Police is to provide adequate personnel to man/keep order at polling units and other INEC facilities; provide security for election equipment and other materials during delivery, election and retrieval; apprehend law breakers and prosecute them; dissuade public officials from misusing police security details.

The Police also would bind over suspected trouble makers to keep peace; conduct pre-emptive raids on criminal hideouts; work with recognized local/community security outfits to monitor illegal activities during the elections; enforce restriction on movement of persons that may be in force during election.

On the part of the Army, INEC said “they will provide surveillance in the vicinities of election as determined by engagement rules to be developed by ICCES; assist in restricting movement during the election; assist in protecting election materials where police and other agencies are unable to do so.

The Army is also to establish standby rapid deployment squads in all states in case of serious crises; assist in delivery of INEC materials where necessary; assist in retrieving INEC election equipment, materials and personnel after elections where necessary; prepare to assist and evacuate civilians in case of serious crisis.

For the Nigeria Navy and Air Force, they are to, among others, increase surveillance of Nigeria’s seaports, airspace, airports and continental shelf during elections; assist in the deployment of INEC equipment and personnel where necessary; assist in restricting movement along waterways during election; assist in protecting election equipment/materials where police and other security agencies are not unable to do so; establish standby rapid deployment squads in all states in case of serious crisis; assist in delivery of INEC materials where necessary; prepare to evacuate civilians in case of serious crisis during election/

The SSS is to monitor the elections closely and alert INEC and other security agencies, especially in the framework of ICCES on security problems; develop a framework for sharing intelligence regularly with other agencies during the elections; enforce restriction on movement of persons that may be in force during the elections; conduct mop up operation of illegal weaponry and raid of criminal hideouts; confine key trouble makers and their supporters ahead of the election.

Others like the National Drug Law enforcement agency is to increase surveillance of hard drug production, movement and use, pre-emptive strikes on hard drug dealers and user’s hideout; closely monitor vicinities of election areas for drugs use likely to lead to violence.

The Customs is to monitor imports into the country at all ports and border crossings to prevent imports that could undermine the election process e.g. Weapons, fake election and liaise closely with other security agencies to cover porous boundary routes.

The Nigeria Immigration Service will closely monitor immigration of foreign nationals likely to undermine election e.g. Illegal immigrants brought into, for elections; liaise with Customs to monitor flights that might bring in illegal election materials.