Nigerian Army sends warning to organisers of #EndBadGovernment protest, says ‘we won’t allow you to burn this country’

The Defence Headquarters has warned those mobilising for a nationwide protest that while it is their right to protest, it will not condone anarchy.

Recall that some individuals have been mobilising for a nationwide protest scheduled for August 1 to August 10, 2024.

Tagged #EndBadGovernace, organisers of the protest have lamented about widespread hunger and inflation in the land.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, said the military won’t allow anarchy to befall Nigeria.

He added that the military has uncovered plots by unscrupulous elements to hijack the protest and turn it into a violent one by attacking innocent Nigerians and their businesses.

“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.

“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.”

The Minister for Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the Federal Government.

The minister made the plea on Wednesday after a meeting with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, Mohammed said the Federal Government was engaging with all stakeholders on the matter.

“You see, the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu believes in everyone’s freedom within the laws to do what he thinks is right for him. Therefore, the President is not an opponent of protest of any kind but the President is an opponent of violence and anything that will negatively hamper the wellbeing of Nigerians,” the minister was quoted as saying in a statement by his spokesperson, Rabiu Ibrahim.

“He believes and he has always been saying that within the tenets of democracy, you have every right to do whatever you want to do provided that right does not infringe on another person’s right.

“Why everybody is very cautious and very weary of this national protest is because we have seen what has happened around the world. We know that it’s almost impossible to hold this protest and then have peace at the end of the day. We cannot do that because some people are waiting to take the laws into their own hands.”

He said while Nigerians have the constitutionally guaranteed right to protest, the government was aware some people were planning to hijack the demonstration to cause trouble.

According to the minister, the President Bola Tinubu administration is equally committed to ensuring that these activities do not disrupt public order or violate the rights of others.

He argued that the President is fully aware of the genuine concerns and complaints expressed by Nigerians across the nation and he is actively working to implement effective policies aimed at alleviating the challenges faced by the citizenry and bringing relief to all Nigerians.

Download Edujandon.com News App QR-Code

Edujandon.com - 24/7 News Upda

Developer: Edujandon Enterprises

Price: Free