In view of the insurgency championed by the dreaded sect, Boko Haram, in the north, the Nigerian military has concluded arrangements to give full scale special protection to former Heads of State, Generals Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, IBB, Muhammadu Buhari and some other prominent politicians ahead of the 2015 elections.
Saturday Mirror gathered that the arrangements were put in place following security reports that the individuals might have allegedly become vulnerable to attacks considering the present level of insurgency in the north.
The step is in addition to the protective restriction given to the personality and many others. With the protective restriction, the personalities are expected to rely on travel advisory which will be made available by security agents in the country.
Top military sources revealed that apart from the two former heads of states, who were known to be politically very active, some other unnamed top political figures in the country, especially in the north, were also considered in the arrangements.
The source said that in a very short while, highpowered security details, both from the military and other security agencies would be seen around the prominent Nigerians at all times in all places.
The arrangements, Saturday Mirror gathered may have emanated from the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, to give some set of top politicians special military protection. When contacted over the arrangements,, the Defence Headquarters, DHQ, told Saturday Mirror that it was not the business of the military to give individual protection to people.
Speaking through its Director of Defence Information, DDI, Major General Chris Olukolade, the DHQ however said since the provision of security was a joint business, depending on the situation, it would provide special military protection to the deserving persons.
The DHQ said that Generals IBB and Muhammadu Buhari, were statutorily entitled to military protection for life as former Heads of State and military service chiefs. “I am not disputing it and I am not agreeing with it. By virtue of their military backgrounds, there are individuals who are ordinarily entitled to military protection.
There are also prominent Nigerians whom the military will provide special protection”, General Olukolade told Saturday Mirror.
