Ojelabi Takes Charge Of Ogun Civil Defence Command, Warns Against Electoral Violence

By Bukar Bolori 

The newly posted Commandant of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to Ogun State, David Ojelabi has warned against violence during the forthcoming elections, insisting that he has zero tolerance for electoral violence.

The commandant, gave this warning while speaking to journalists shortly after observing the Guard of Honour at the command’s headquarters in Owu Dekudu, Kobape, Abeokuta the State capital, noting that men of the command have already been trained ahead of the coming poll to combat violence in all ramification. 

Ojelabi revealed that the NSCDC has groomed its officers across the 36 states of the federation on the dos and don’t of election”. 

He said: “We have trained all our officers from the rank of commandant in Abuja and all the state commandants across all 36 states on the dos and don’t in the electioneering process, and they are all groomed and well trained and informed in dos and don’t of the election.

“Everybody in the state has been well-trained in the electioneering process in Nigeria.”

He promised that: “As the newly posted commandant of Ogun NSCDC commandant, all our officers are going to be non-partisan, we are going to be a neutral umpire, and we are going to provide security for everybody to ensure a peaceful atmosphere for credible and acceptable election.”

Earlier while addressing the officers, Ojelabi appreciated  the outgoing State Commandant Niyi Ajibola and the  personnel of the command, encouraging  them to see the redeployment as a necessary part of the uniform work which must be embraced.

He said: “All hands are on deck to ensure safety and security during the 2023 General Elections across the country and every personnel has been appropriately trained and retrained to make this poll a success.”

A  statement signed by the Command’s Public relations Officer, NSCDC Ogun state command, Dyke Ogbonanya after the event further stated that  Commandant Ojelabi, was  impressed by the level of commitment, professionalism and preparedness of the Corps in the State towards a free, fair and credible elections across the State.

He however urged the general public to imbibe peaceful co-existence and cooperate with all security agencies during and after the election, stating that politics is not a do-or-die affair. 

He noted that everybody is a stakeholder whether civilian or uniform, noting that everyone should play the game as it should be done, so everyone can have the dividend of democracy. 

He said: “My charges to the people are that everybody should be peaceful, election and politics are not a or die, and we are all stakeholders whether you are in uniform or civilian, everybody should play the game as it should be done, so we all can have the dividends of democracy.”