Ahead of the August 1, 2024, nationwide planned protest against the current economic hardship bedevilling the nation and bad governance in Nigeria, the Borno State Police Command has warned residents against joining the protest.
News About Nigeria reports that the Command gave the warning in a statement signed by Nahum Daso, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, issued on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Yusufu Mohammed on Thursday.
In the statement, the command stated that the state of emergency on insecurity still in force in Borno automatically bans protests or any form of mass action.
The police also noted that it is aware that some “disgruntled unpatriotic individuals” are mobilising youths for a mass protest tagged #EndbadgovernmentinNigeria2024 through social media platforms and other publications.
The Borno police said, “The police, as a civil and responsive institution, is not unaware of the fundamental human rights to peaceful procession by any group, but experience has shown that protests are often hijacked by mischievous and disgruntled individuals with ulterior motives. The general public should note that Borno State is still under a state of emergency, and therefore, the ban on any form of public procession in the state still subsists.
“The command is in active collaboration with other security agencies to nip in the bud any act of lawlessness, adding that, “unpatriotic and clandestine plans aimed at disrupting the relative peace enjoyed by the good people of the state, and any attempt to damage critical government and public infrastructure will be considered an act of terrorism.”
The state commissioner of police, therefore, appealed to parents and guardians to discourage their wards from being used by any group or individuals to disrupt the sustainable peace in the state.
