Former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor (retd.), has urged security agencies to take decisive action, including arrest, against politicians and other influential Nigerians whose statements could incite violence and threaten national peace.

Irabor made the call while reacting to a controversial statement allegedly made by Senator Francis Fadahunsi, representing Osun East, in a viral video ahead of Saturday’s Osun State governorship election.

Fadahunsi was alleged to have instructed his supporters to kill members of the Accord Party and their family members. The comment sparked widespread condemnation, prompting the police to invite the senator for questioning.

The lawmaker, however, later claimed that his remarks had been edited to give a misleading impression of what he said.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, Irabor condemned the alleged remarks and commended the police for inviting Fadahunsi.

He said individuals who make comments capable of triggering violence should be promptly apprehended and investigated.

“For me as a person, any time we hear individuals who make inciting comments, I think that such people should be picked up immediately,” Irabor said.

He described Fadahunsi’s alleged remarks as bordering on incitement to violence, adding that the police had taken the right step by questioning him.

The former military chief also called for action against Islamic clerics Sani Jingir and Ahmad Gumi over what he described as inciting comments made by them at different times.

Irabor stressed that no individual should be considered above the law, arguing that anyone whose public statements threaten peace and security should be invited to account for such comments.

He further said decisive action against inflammatory rhetoric would boost the confidence and morale of Nigeria’s defence and security personnel.

According to him, inflammatory statements by political actors are partly responsible for the need to deploy troops during elections, although the military’s role should primarily be to deter threats rather than directly participate in electoral activities.

Irabor warned that the use of inflammatory language reminiscent of the First Republic could undermine Nigeria’s democratic stability.

“It is because of such languages that the military wouldn’t want to see a deterioration of the security situation to such a level that we may not be able to contain,” he said.

He explained that the military’s deployment under Operation Safe Conduct was essentially a deterrent measure designed to prevent a deterioration of the security situation during elections.

Irabor urged political actors and other influential Nigerians to learn from the country’s history and avoid statements that could heighten tension or trigger violence.