By Abiola Olawale
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has issued a stern warning to the organisers of the proposed nationwide protests scheduled for August 1, to desist from wreaking any havoc.
The Police Chief warned that the force would not accept any form of violence. Speaking at the Force Headquarters in Abuja during a strategic meeting with top police officers from the rank of Commissioners of Police, Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) and the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), Egbetokun said while the police will allow peaceful protesters express themselves in accordance with the provisions of the constitution, they would not fold their arms and watch any individual who attempts to hijack the protest to cause havoc.
He explained that the situation that occurred during the #EndSARS protest in 2020 was an eye-opener for the police force.
According to him, the Police have learnt from their experience and they are ready to target Nigerians who might be plotting to turn peaceful protests into violent protests.
He said: “Our position is that the proposed violent protests are ill-advised and should be jettisoned fortuitously. We have the responsibility to protect properties and everyone, irrespective of their race, colour, ethnicity, or tribe, who are lawfully embarking on their daily activities.
“We will, therefore, not sit back and fold our arms to watch violent activities unleash violence on our peaceful communities or destroy any of our national critical infrastructure and assets again.
“Before concluding this address, it is important I address an issue of urgent national importance which appears to have gained some momentum, particularly on social media, in the past few weeks.
“Some groups of people, self-appointed crusaders and influencers, have been strategising and mobilizing potential protesters to unleash terror in the land under the guise of replicating the recent Kenya protests.
“While the force acknowledges the right to peaceful protest as enshrined in our constitution, we must ensure that these protests do not snowball into violence or disorder.
“As a nation, we have had more than our fair share of violent protests, with rather dastardly consequences. The last #EndSARS protest led to one-tenth destruction of public assets, including police stations, courts, and transport infrastructure, and the loss of several lives.
“Tales of sorrow, tears, and blood followed what was supposedly intended to be a well-intentioned exercise. Rather than lead to any positive outcome, EndSars merely aggravated crime rates and insecurity in several parts of the country.
“Indeed, we are yet to fully recover from the huge economic losses and deep-seated psychological and emotional trauma inflicted upon our people by these protests.”
