The National Taskforce on the Prohibition of Illegal Importation of Small Arms, Ammunitions and Light Weapons ( NATFORCE), has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to call to order, perpetrators of election violence within his government .
This is as the anti – illegal weapons outfit called for establishment of special courts for prosecution of possessors of illegal weapons and fire arms in the country .
Taking stock of the just concluded general elections in the country at a press briefing in Abuja on Sunday , the Director General of NATFORCE, Dr Osita Emmanuel Okereke said though the elections on a general note, can be said to be successful but those responsible for violence that characterized it in some areas must be called to order .
Using Rivers State as an example , Okereke at the press briefing said : “President Muhammadu Buhari should ensure that interest of an individual in Rivers State does not put the lives of innocent Nigerians in danger or ruin the future of electoral process in the State .
” The individual in question knows that his popularity in the State has expired , he should no longer be allowed to make the state ungovernable for the government and people of the state “.
In steming the tide of election violence in Rivers state in particular, the NATFORCE DG, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC), to carry the outfit along any rerun election that may be conducted .
” As INEC prepares to conduct election in Rivers state, we want to plead with the commission to carry our Agency along in the conduct of the election for the purposes of ensuring that the ugly incident that marred the initial effort to have a free and fair election in that state is not repeated again “, he said .
Special courts according to him, should be set up by the federal government to try those caught with illegal arms and ammunitions for quick facilitation of justice against them and in ridding the country of incidences of Boko Haram, Kidnapping and wanton killings .
Establishment of a National Commission for the Prohibition of Illegal Importation of Small Arms, Ammunitions and Light Weapons he added , was very necessary by the federal government.
According to him, while a bill sponsored to that effect by the agency has passed the third reading in the House of Representatives , is awaiting the required concurrence in the senate .
He therefore appealed to the leadership of the 8th Senate to ensure passage of the bill before expiration of its life span in June this year.
