The Nigeria Police Force has warned that it has received “credible intelligence” indicating that some individuals plan to use the upcoming #EndBadGovernance protest to cause violence and disrupt the peace.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!According to Sahara Reporters, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun made this known during a Zoom meeting with protest organizers on Tuesday.
He stated, “As Nigerian police, we are in possession of credible intelligence indicating that some elements are planning to cause violence and disrupt the peace of Nigeria.”
Egbetokun also noted that some people have a history of promoting violence during protests, citing the #EndSARS protests in Lagos as an example.
He emphasized the need to protect the country’s fragile economy, saying, “We all know that we are operating a fragile economy presently and anything that will destroy that fragile economy will set us back.”
The IGP’s warning comes as the Lagos State Government has obtained a court order restricting the protest to three locations in the state and mandating it to take place between 8 am and 6 pm daily.
Human rights advocate Omoyele Sowore has described the order as “ridiculous” and called on protesters to defy it, saying “no court can order Nigerians to seek their liberty.”
Sowore also urged protesters to commence actions everywhere on August 1st, 2024, using the hashtags #DaysOfRage and #RevolutionNow.
The protest is scheduled to take place on August 1, 2024, and it remains to be seen how the police and government will respond to any attempts to defy the court order.
The police warning and court order have raised tensions ahead of the planned protest, with organizers and supporters vowing to press on despite the restrictions.
