The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, stated on Tuesday that the proposed nationwide protest was ill-advised, urging citizens to abandon the plan.
His comment was in response to social media campaigns mobilising for a nationwide protest slated for August 1 due to the economic hardship in the country.
Speaking during a meeting with commissioners of police in Abuja, Egbetokun noted that the country has experienced violent protests with severe consequences.
The IG added that the last #EndSARS protest aggravated crime rates and insecurity in several parts.
He said, “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 mobilising 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 significant 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.”
He urged citizens to abandon the proposed protest, adding that the police have the responsibility to protect citizens and their properties.
Egbetokun said, “Hence, 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.”
Egbetokun stated that measures are in place to ensure that any hoodlums attempting to disguise themselves as protesters will be apprehended.
He said, “We have mapped out plans to ensure that no individual or group succeeds in fostering a reign of terror and anarchy on other law-abiding and innocent Nigerians. Consequently, I want to seize this opportunity to sound a serious warning to hoodlums who may want to take laws into their own hands in the name of protests. Do not worry.”
