Lai Mohammed

The Nigerian government on Monday said that armed bandits and Boko Haram insurgents have been mobilized to engage in massive attacks and other acts of violence in several states across the country.

The country’s Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed who disclosed this at a press conference in Abuja also accused the opposition of plotting widespread violence across the country in order to truncate the forthcoming general elections

According to the Federal Government, the states being targeted for the attacks include Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Benue, Kano, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Plateau, Taraba and Zamfara.

Mohammed said the government was in possession of credible intelligence that the looming violence could pose a threat to the 2019 general elections, alleging that the opposition might have chosen to unleash violence on the polity because there were indications that the results of the elections might not go in their favour.

“Having realized that their fortunes have dwindled badly ahead of the polls, the desperate opposition is orchestrating widespread violence with a view to truncating the elections thus triggering a constitutional crisis that could snowball into the establishment of an interim government.

“Nigerians are alerted to the dangers posed to the forthcoming elections by unscrupulous, unpatriotic and desperate characters who will not hesitate to destabilize the country if they cannot achieve their inordinate ambition.

“The Benue-based armed criminal group, led by Terwase Akwaza also known as Gana has been commissioned to strike soft targets in Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba States.

“In Kano State, a group of notorious miscreants have been mobilized by some prominent opposition leaders to provoke massive chaos before, during and after the elections.

“There is also an international dimension to the evil plan. Some armed mercenaries from Niger Republic have been contracted to attack top government functionaries including state governors across the North- West between now and the elections,” Mohammed said.

He added: “The Federal Government is taking every possible measure to counter these evil plans by unpatriotic anarchists and ensure the success of the 2019 general elections.

“The administration’s commitment to a credible, free, fair and peaceful election is unshaken,” the Minister added.

He therefore appealed to all Nigerians to be vigilant in the days ahead and urged the media to sensitize members of the public on the dangers posed by the plots to the forthcoming elections.