NO Nigerian would ever believe that thesecurity agencies could curtail the violencethat occurred in the 2011 elections as they had done. This is because of the pre-election events that had thrown the entire country into fear, considering the fact that there were massive preponderance arms acquisition across the country towards the polls. However, the Nigerian security agencies proved most Nigerians wrong by providing an unimaginable security network during the elections, to the extent that it got commendations from the international communities.Despite this fact, it is common knowledge that Nigerian politicians fully prepared for the elections but when it mattered most, their thugs and errand boys were not given the opportunity to operate. The question on everybodys lips now is that where are the arms and ammunition the politicians acquired for the 2011 elections What will happen to some of them that are now in the hands of miscreants How safe are Nigerians after the elections, considering the enormous arms that are in the societyBefore the elections, the Lagos State Police Command, on March 28, 2011 recovered over 1,000 arms and ammunition from a mop-up exercise it started in February. The commands spokesman , Mr. Samuel Jinadu, said it was part of the commands strategy and preparedness for the general election. In the same vein, the Enugu State Command of the State Security Services (SSS) also uncovered an illegal arms manufacturing factory at Agbada community in Nenwe, Aninri Local Government area, recovering over 150 dangerous weapons. Shortly before the elections, another bomb exploded in Minna, Niger State where some corps members and several others died while checking their names on the INEC adhoc staff list.These developments caused apprehension among Nigerians during the elections as it used to be. It was believed that most politicians were battle-ready for the polls. Even, in some cases some were quoted to have said they were ready to match the opposition with everything they had.Although, the Nigerian security agencies were able to provide unequalled security measures during the elections, the process was not however free from some attacks. Almost immeditely after the voting during the April 16 presidential election, two bombs went off, first at the Happy Night hotel in Kabala West and then at Magajin Gari Sharia Court 1 in Kaduna North Local Government secretariat. The Commissioner of Police said the explosion near the Magajin Gari Sharia Court was so powerful that it could have killed hundreds, if it had been detonated during a busy hour. Earlier on April 7, two bombs exploded in Mahuta, a suburb of Kaduna metropolis, killing one man and wounded another, with another blast recorded on April 22 in Kaduna, making it the fifth in the month.Apart from the several bomb blasts witnessed before and during the elections, findings revealed that a lot of political thugs were empowered by politicians during the election to operate, with the exemption of those who found other means during the night to attack themselves.A good example of this was reprisal attacks recorded in Osun State during the National Assembly election. During the polls, the supporters of the two major political parties in the state were attacked and killed, in all, six people were reported dead. All the attacks were carried out in the night.During the postponed April 2 National Assemby election, a journalist who covered the election in one of the South-West states said he was dazed while at the home of a politician seeking election into the House of Representatives, when some hefty men after the cancellation were returning from the field and were submitting their ammunition.I couldnt believe my eyes. I saw some boys dropping arms, charms just like security agencies and were even dressed in mobile police uniforms. I screamed and was called to order by a colleague, I never believed what I saw.One thing that is however certain is that it is not all the weapons given to the miscreants that would be returned to base. And if they were, what would the owners do with them after the electionsIn previous elections in the country, post elections peace was always threatened because of ammunition that would have escaped into the hands of hoodlums and which might become instrument of terrorism, thereby increasing the rate of armed robbery in the country.With the security agencies successfully curtailing the election violence, Nigerians are hoping trouble would not brew from the armouries where these arms are kept.
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