Police vow to resist violence, deploy 4,200 officers in FCT
The Nigerian Police have vowed to resist any form of violence during the planned nationwide protest slated for August 1.
In a statement on Friday, Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, revealed that the FCT Command has deployed a total of 4,200 police officers to curb any potential violence that might arise during the protest.
The command’s proactive measures come in response to the planned nationwide protest by human rights activists and Nigerian youths, who intend to express their displeasure over hunger and hardship.
The protest has gained significant traction on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter).
SP Adeh stated that the command has deployed material and human resources across the nation’s capital.
This deployment aims to ensure public safety, protect protesters, and prevent the protest from being hijacked by non-state actors.
READ ALSO: Economic Reforms: I have no cabal or sponsors to compensate —Tinubu
Measures include visibility policing, deployment of explosive ordinance devices (EOD) experts and personnel at strategic locations, raids on identified black spots and uncompleted buildings/shanties, stop and search operations, vehicular and foot patrols, and coordination with sister security agencies.
The Commissioner of Police for FCT, CP Benneth Igweh, while acknowledging the residents’ right to protest, emphasized that it should remain peaceful.
He vowed to resist all forms of violent protest and lawlessness, stating that the police will not allow the destruction of public and private properties or loss of lives.
Residents were urged to be vigilant and to report any suspicious activities to the police through emergency lines: 08032003913, 08028940883, 08061581938, 07057337653 PCB: 09022222352, and CRU: 08107314192.
Sponsors of Protests Don’t Love Nigeria – Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu, addressing the planned nationwide protests, claimed that the sponsors of these demonstrations do not love the country. During a meeting with Islamic leaders led by Sheikh Bala Lau at the Presidential Villa on Thursday, Tinubu stated that those championing the protests have alternative passports and hold meetings virtually from various parts of the world.
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“The sponsors of protests do not love our country. They have no love for the nation. They do not understand citizenship. They have alternative passports,” Tinubu said, according to a statement by presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale.
He added, “They are in different parts of the world holding meetings virtually. We do not want to turn Nigeria into Sudan. We are talking about hunger, not burials. We have to be careful.
We should be careful with premature politics; politics of hate, and anger. The internet has made it possible to hold meetings in artificial settings. They hold meetings and sponsor anger.”
READ ALSO: After meeting governors, Tinubu meets traditional rulers to avert nationwide protest
President Tinubu argued that the protests, fuelled by anger and hate, could degenerate into violence and set the country backwards.
Proofreading, editing by Sakinat Musa Abubakar and Maryam Sulaiman, Editor and Journalist at Neptune Prime.
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