We’re ready to deal with violent protesters – IGP

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, says the police force will never allow another type of #EndSARS protest again.

He said this on Friday in Abuja when he met with commissioners of police, noting that the force was ready to face anyone organising or taking part in such protests across the country.

Adamu said the police officers protected demonstrators during the #EndSARS protest in October, but it later turned violent and led to loss of lives and properties.

“Remember, even our constitution does not accept violent protests, so, those people that are planning to come up with another protest, if they’ve planned it to be a violent one, they should rethink, otherwise, we have prepared to face them,” the IGP said.

“We will never allow this type of #EndSARS protests again. It was violent. Peaceful protest is allowed in our constitutions. When this process started peacefully, we provided security for them. We were moving with them to make sure they were not molested by any group of people and it was going on well until it turned violent.

“When it turned violent, they then attacked the people that were even giving them protection. So, we shall never allow any violent protest in this country again. When you talk of peaceful protests, yes, it is allowed but violent protests, never!

“We’re to protect this country from hoodlums. We’re to protect this country from violence, and we want every Nigerian to work with us, to prevent what had happened as aftermath of the end of SARS in terms of destruction of public properties, loss of lives, businesses of individuals were crippled, corporate institutions were destroyed.

“Well-meaning Nigerians should join hands with us so as to prevent recurrence of such. We have made a lot of arrests of those people that escaped from prisons. Some were even arrested in Kano and Kaduna. When they escaped, some of them went back to their business of robbery.”