The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has warned against any violence under the guise of replicating the protest that shook Kenya last month.
Egbetokun said the police would not fold their arms and watch protesters engage in violence, citing the trauma they experienced during the last #EndSARS protest.
Speaking at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, Egbetokun advised those planning the protest to jettison the idea, saying the police have a responsibility to protect properties and everyone embarking on their daily activities.
He stated that the proposed violent protests are ill-advised and should be abandoned.
Egbetokun revealed that background checks on the organizers and sponsors of the protest showed that many of them are not living in Nigeria and are only out to instigate crisis in the country.
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.”
According to him, the police have run background checks on many of the organisers and sponsors of the protest, it was found out that many of them are not living in Nigeria, and that they are only out to instigate crisis in the country.
He added, “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.”
Egbetokun also said that measures are in place to ensure that any hoodlums attempting to disguise themselves as protesters will be apprehended.
He stated, “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 dissolving Nigerians.
“Consequently, I want to seize this opportunity to sound the note of serious warning to hoodlums who may want to take laws into their own hands in the name of protests. Do not worry.”
