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General Elections: Nigeria May Turn to Killing Field, Odinkalu Warns

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A former chairman of the Nigerian Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Dr. Chidi Odinkalu, has raised the alarm that there were enough arms in the hands of private citizens in the country to create a killing field if next month’s elections are not free and fair.

This is coming as ex-militant leaders in the Niger Delta region have expressed worries that politicians are stockpiling large arms and ammunition to unleash terror and mayhem against suspected political opponents with sole aim of rigging next month’s elections.

Speaking yesterday on the Morning Show of Arise News, a sister broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspaper, Odinkalu said his greatest fear is violence, adding that this can only be averted if the police, the biggest security outfit in the country, is seen to be neutral in the activities leading to the election.

“If the security services don’t behave responsibly and with neutrality, there are enough arms in private hands in the country to create a free-for-all killing field and I don’t think anybody should pray for that,” he said.

THISDAY, January 11, 2019

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