The military has issued a warning to the organizers of the planned nationwide protest against economic hardship in Nigeria, cautioning them against any form of violence.
Major General Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, made this clear at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday.
General Buba emphasized that the military will not allow anarchy to take hold in Nigeria, hinting that the organizers of the protest may be planning to replicate the recent violent protests seen in Kenya.
While acknowledging the right of citizens to express their grievances, General Buba stressed that the military will not tolerate violent gatherings or protests.
Furthermore, General Buba revealed that the military has uncovered plots by unscrupulous elements to hijack the protest and turn it into a violent one.
These elements, he said, plan to attack innocent Nigerians and their businesses, and the military is taking steps to prevent this from happening.
“While citizens have the right to peaceful protest, they do not have the right to mobilise for anarchy and unleash terror.
“It is easy to see that the contemporary context of the planned protest is to shadow the outrage in Kenya which I must say is violent and remains unresolved,” he said.
“The level of violence being envisaged can only be described as a stage for anarchy.
“The Armed Forces on its part will not stand by and allow anarchy to befall our nation. This is because we have seen wars and have witnessed anarchy in countries with which we have operated, particularly in times of ECOMOG (Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group) and during our peacekeeping operations in various countries.”
He said some people fantasise about war thinking that it is like seeing movies but can’t fathom the destructions that come with war.
The police had also warned against violent protests come next month.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu, governors and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have appealed to Nigerians to shelve the planned ‘EndBadGovernance’ protest slated for next month.
The protest against economic hardship, which is gaining traction on social media, has been scheduled to be held across all states of the Federation as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, in August. The organisers of the protest have been faceless.
Prices of food and basic commodities have gone through the roof in the last months, as Nigerians battle one of the country’s worst inflation and economic crisis sparked by the government’s twin policies of petrol subsidy removal and unification of forex windows.
