Ahead of the planned nationwide protest against the economic hardship in the country, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun has disclosed that the Police have intelligence reports showing that foreign mercenaries have been recruited to hijack the protest and cause damage in the country.<\/p>\n
Speaking in Abuja, he urged Nigerians to be wise, exercise caution and think twice before joining any protest group at this point in time so as to prevent drawing the nation back.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have been monitoring developments surrounding protest threats. While some groups call for violent protests, emulating Kenya\u2019s recent events, others advocate for peaceful demonstrators.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, some individuals are promoting peaceful protests with violent undertones, raising concerns about their sincerity.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have our history of violent protests in Nigeria, and I don\u2019t believe we have to look to other countries to note the dangers of unchecked demonstrations.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe commend patriots who have withdrawn from the protest due to the apparent sinister motives and ignorance of those calling for violence.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe note those who have spoken out against any form of protest at this critical juncture, fearing enemies of our country may be manipulating the process.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe confirm their fears are genuine, as we have credible intelligence on foreign mercenaries\u2019 involvement in this planned protest. The Nigerian police urge all Nigerians to exercise caution and think twice before joining any protest group.\u201d<\/p>\n
Towards ensuring that the protest is peaceful and non-destructive, Egbetokun called on groups involved and planning to participate in the proposed nationwide protest to submit their details to the Commissioners of Police in their respective states.<\/p>\n
His words, \u201cWe acknowledge the constitutional right of Nigerian citizens to peaceful assembly and protest. However, in the interest of public safety and order, we urge all groups planning to protest to provide necessary details to the Commissioner of Police in the state where the protest is intended to take place.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo facilitate a successful and incident-free protest, they should please provide the following information \u2013 1, The proposed protest routes and assembly points. 2. Expected duration of the protest. 3. Names and contact details of protest leaders and organizers and 4. Measures to prevent hijacking by criminal elements, including key identifiers for possible isolation of potential troublemakers.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy providing this information, the police will be enabled to deploy adequate personnel and resources to ensure public safety.<\/p>\n
\u20185. Designate specific routes and areas for the protest to avoid conflicts with other events or activities.<\/p>\n
\u201c6. Establish clear communication channels with protest leaders to address any concerns or issues that may arise.<\/p>\n
\u201c7. Minimize the risk of violence, property damage, or other criminal activity.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe encourage all protestors to cooperate with the police, obey the law, and adhere to global best practices for peaceful assembly to guarantee a safe and successful exercise of their rights.\u201d<\/p>\n
While urging the protesters to cooperate with policemen, Egbetokun said the police would be available to protect them adding, \u201cWe have done everything we need to do. We have put measures in place to ensure that there is no breakdown of law and order in case there is going to be any protest.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just gave the guidelines that protest groups, groups who intend to protest, there are guidelines for them to follow. Once they follow this guideline, we are going to have it peaceful. So my appeal to Nigerians is to remain law-abiding.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose who insist that they must come out to protest, please cooperate with the police. The police will be there with you and protect you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked what happens if the groups who are unknown as of today, Friday July 23, 2024 fail to follow the guidelines for the protest, IGP Egbetokun said, \u201cIf they fail to comply, with the guidelines, it means they don\u2019t mean well for the country. We will be prepared for them\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t want the protest to take place because violent protest will result in more violent crimes and insecurity but if there must be protest, follow the guidelines.<\/p>\n
Egbetokun recalled past protests including the Endsars protest saying, \u201cWe have had a history of violent protests and what follows violent protest is increased violent crimes<\/p>\n
\u201cLast one Police Stations were burnt, amouries looted and so on. In areas where these Police stations were burnt down, criminals and armed robbers took over, women could no longer come out once it is 7pm.<\/p>\n
\u201c600 brand new BRT buses bought to ameliorate the suffering of the people were burnt down and you say you are protesting on behalf of the masses. We have to be careful not to be misled and destroying our country. Violent protest is going to leave us worse off\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce more, we are issuing a stern warning to clandestine groups. We will not tolerate the killing of any Nigerian in the guise of protest.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ahead of the planned nationwide protest against the economic hardship in the country, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun has disclosed that the Police have intelligence reports showing…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":111249,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-113465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n