By ROTIMI IJIKANMI

The Military on Monday assured Nigerians that the 2023 elections would hold peacefully in the South-East states and in all parts of the country in spite of threats by criminal elements.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, gave the assurance in Abuja at the 25th edition of the President Muhammadu Buhari’ (PMB) Scorecard Series.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the edition featured the Minister of Defence, retired Gen. Bashir Magashi, who presented the scorecard of the ministry.

Responding to a question on the threat by the Simon Ekpa led faction of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to stop the elections in the south east zone, Irabor said no person or group can stop the polls.

“The armed forces is working in concert with the Police and other security agencies to ensure that the menace of criminalities from IPOB and Eastern Security Network are eliminated,” he said.

Irabor also corroborated the position of the Defence Minister that “no territory of Nigeria is under the control of the Boko Haram or any other terrorists group.”

He said all communities in the North-East zones of the country had been liberated from the criminal elements.

Irabor said the military was on the mission for final cleansing of the North-East region from terrorists.

He reiterated that the fact that the military had not ceased operation in the region did not mean that the terrorists were still occupying any portion of the nation’s territory. (NAN)