Ibadan -The 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Ibadan and the Nigeria Police are to carry out joint patrols within Ibadan and its environs during the April general elections.

Lt. Col. Omale Ochagwuba, Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, who made the announcement in a statement in Ibadan, said the joint patrol, scheduled to commence on March 21, was in line with army’s constitutional role of giving aid to civil authority.

“The objective is to send a strong clear warning and direct message to political thugs and trouble makers who will want to subvert or truncate the electoral process to desist from doing so or face the wrath of the law,” he said.

Ochagwuba assured the public of the army’s readiness to protect lives and property when the need arises, and urged parents and guardians to warn their wards against being used by politicians to perpetrate violence.

He appealed to the public to avail the army of useful information on the activities of criminals and trouble makers who posed any threat to law and order in the state.

He said the Commanding Officer, 2 Division, Nigerian Army, and other heads of security agencies in the state were fine tuning strategies to ensure effective security to facilitate a hitch-free poll in the state.