Recently various videos depicting a convoy of military officers in Imo state began trending on messaging app Whatsapp. One of the videos shared was from Orsu local government area of the state.
Various narratives have accompanied the viral video some of which are that the Imo Government allegedly invited the military to help it rig the elections; the military was in the state because of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) amongst others.
Claim: Video shows heavy military presence in Imo State and the ploy is to rig the November 11 governorship poll?
Verification
To authentic the video and verify the claim, CDD War Room spoke with a CDD Soldier of Mouth who confirmed the presence of the soldiers in the area. According to our soldier of mouth, on Friday, military convoys were observed in various parts of the states.
He said, “I personally witnessed about 20 vehicles filled with armed personnel along Okigwe road Owerri today. Between 5-6 pm.” He also affirmed that the particular video footage was taken in Orsu local government area of the state. Our Soldier of Mouth, however, stated that the officers were going about their business and did not harass any passers by.
It is pertinent to recall that Kayode Egbetokun, the Inspector General of Police and the head of the election security committee while speaking over the weekend during the people’s town hall noted that security forces have begun deployment to the three states in which the elections would take place. He noted that the deployment would be completed by Friday, a day before the election.
Additionally, we found a news report assuring of the military’s support for the police during the November 11, 2023 governorship election. Various branches of Nigeria’s security forces have been declaring their readiness to secure the electoral terrain to ensure free, fair and credible elections. They security top brass have also warned thugs and perpetrators of electoral violence to stay away from the electoral space or face the full wrath of the law.
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Christopher Musa after meeting with heads of security agencies in Imo, also assured of the Military’s commitment to providing security at the off-cycle governorship elections.
Verdict: No Evidence
Although the video circulated showed a convoy of military men in the state, the CDD War Room found the claim that they have been brought in to rig elections as one lacking evidence. Based on pronouncement made by the top brass of the security forces, we also found that the reason for the heavy military presence in the state was to deter thugs and trouble makers in check.