Protest: Police combat ready, deploy 4,200 operatives to FCT strategic places

Protest: Police combat ready, deploy 4,200 operatives to FCT strategic places

The police say they are combat ready to crush any form of violence that may result from nationwide protests planned for next Thursday August 1 by some Nigerians against hardship and bad governance.

Indeed, starting with the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, the police said it had deployed armed operatives to strategic locations.

The FCT Minister Nyesom Wike had earlier warned the organisers of the protest that Abuja would not be available for any rally or demonstration on August 1.

But a statement by Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, in Abuja on Friday, said the FCT Command had deployed a total of 4,200 police officers to curb any form of violence that might arise from the protest.

The command was reacting in anticipation of the planned nationwide protest by some human rights activists and Nigerian youths, to publicly express their displeasure over hunger and hardship.

The planned protest has since generated massive traction on social media, especially on X.

According to Adeh, the command has proactively deployed material and human resources across the nooks and crannies of the nation’s capital.

 

The deployment, he said, was aimed at ensuring public safety, protecting protesters, and preventing protests from being hijacked by non-state actors.

The police command said the action was part of visibility policing, involving deployment of explosive ordinance devices (EOD) experts, and personnel at various strategic locations, raids on identified black spots, uncompleted buildings/shanties, stop and search, vehicular and foot patrol, and synergy with sister security agencies.

The Commissioner of Police FCT, Benneth Igweh, while acknowledging the right of residents to protest, advised that it should be peaceful.

He wrote, “The CP vows to resist all forms of violent protest and lawlessness, as the police will not be stampeded into allowing the destruction of public and private properties or loss of lives.

Residents are also advised to be vigilant and take advantage of the police emergency lines, to report suspicious activities through 08032003913, 08028940883, 08061581938, 07057337653 PCB: 09022222352, and CRU: 08107314192.