‘It’s invitation to anarchy’, IGP urges citizens to ignore proposed nationwide protest

Ahead of the proposed nationwide protest against economic hardship in the country, the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Olukayode  Egbetokun on Tuesday urged citizens especially the Youths to ignore the ill-motivated protest, saying that it was an open invitation to anarchy.

Speaking in Abuja at a meeting with Senior Officers from the rank of commissioners of Police and above in Abuja, declared that the warning became necessary as the has had its fair share of violent protests in the past with tales of woes which the Nigeria Police Force as a responsible organization would not allow anywhere in the country under whatever guise.

He pointed out that the last EndSARS protest which wrecked unprecedented havoc on the nation’s economy was still very fresh and responsible citizens should ignore any call for the repeat of the dastardly act.

According to him, “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 strategizing 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.

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“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 the citizens to jettison the proposed protest, adding that the police have the responsibility to protect citizens and their properties.

This came just as the IGP raised the alarm over the increasing cases of crude oil theft in the country and vowed to bring to book perpetrators and their cohorts with the new arrangements being put in place by the Force.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE