Protests: Police won’t condone violence – IG warns

Protests: Police won’t condone violence – IG warns

The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on Tuesday, warned against any violence under guise of replicating the protest which shook Kenya.

Following some policies which aggrieved Kenyans considered anti-masses, young persons trooped to the parliament and strategic places across Kenya last month.

The protest had led to some reforms, including cabinet reshuffle.

It was gathered that some groups are currently mobilising for protest in Nigeria under the theme #EndBadGovernance.

But speaking at the Force Headquarters in Abuja during a strategic meeting with top police officers from the rank of Commissioners of Police, Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) and the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), on Tuesday, Egbetokun advised those planning the protest to jettison the idea, saying the police would not fold their arms watching them engaging in violence.

The police boss said the force’s decision was based on what happened during the last #EndSARS protest nationwide, insisting that the police, particularly has not been relieved of the trauma they passed through.

The top cop 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.”

Fielding questions from journalists, Egbetokun also said that measures are in place to ensure that any hoodlums attempting to disguise themselves as protesters will be apprehended.