Aviation minister Festus Keyamo have accused Nigerian politicians of protecting their own children by keeping them abroad while inciting youths at home to violence as the 2027 electionsapproach.

“After safely ferrying their children abroad, some unscrupulous politicians are encouraging hapless citizens and thugs to take up weapons to kill one another under the pretext of ‘protecting their votes’. That’s fine,” Mr Keyamo said. 

Citing former late President Muhammadu Buhari’s order that security agents should kill anyone found snatching ballot boxes or causing violence during elections, Mr Keyamo said he agrees with security agencies killing anyone who resorts to self-help or carries weapons to attack people in the guise of protecting their votes.

“Let me reiterate what late President Buhari said pre-2019 election (which I supported and I still support): when you resort to self-help, and you take up dangerous weapons in the guise of ‘protecting your votes’, and you attack anybody, it is lawful and legitimate for law enforcement agents to ‘neutralise’ you or simply ‘put you down’ in the course of their duty. And the children of the politicians will be watching your foolishness from their safe haven somewhere in the world,” Mr Keyamo said. “Having been forewarned, you can then go ahead and exercise your options.”

Before the 2019 elections, Mr Buhari stated that anyone who “decides to snatch ballot boxes or lead thugs to disturb it, maybe this is the last unlawful action you will take”. 

He added, “I really gave the military and the police (order) to be ruthless. We are not going to be blamed that we want to rig election. I want Nigerians to be respected. Let them vote whoever they want across the parties.”