Mt Abutu Yaro, Imo State Police Commissioner, haf disclosed that the command had intelligence members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) planned to hijack the proposed June 12 protest in the state on Saturday.

He gave the disclosure while speaking to journalists in Owerri, the Imo State capital, on Friday.

According to Yaro, the proposed protest is a ploy to heat up the polity and worsen the security challenges confronting the state and the region at large.

He urged residents of the state to be cautious and not to participate in the protest.

He said: “Thanks to police intelligence, we have uncovered plans by members of IPOB and Eastern Security Network (ESN) to hijack civil protests on June 12.

“We advise Imo people to steer clear because some of those conveners have ulterior motives.

“We will not tolerate any attempt by hoodlums to destabilise the state, and anybody or group that insists on disrupting the fragile peace in the state will meet his/her waterloo.”

Yaro called on residents of the state to support efforts by the police and other security agencies to restore peace and create an enabling environment for commercial and business activities to thrive.

Various groups are scheduled to hold demonstrations on June 12 – pronounced as Democracy Day in Nigeria – to protest against the state of the nation and the governance of President Muhammadu Buhari.