Ahead of the planned nationwide protest against hunger in Nigeria scheduled to take place on August 1, 2024, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on Monday appealed to Nigerians not to continue with the action, News About Nigeria reports.
The appeal was made in a statement released by the NBA president, Yakubu Maikyau (SAN).
In the statement, the NBA president called on the federal government, the organisers of the protest, and the supporters of the protest to come together and dialogue instead of embarking on the protest.
He further noted that the heart-to-heart discussion is necessary in order to move the nation forward.
Maikyau also said that looking back at Nigeria’s history shows that mass protests have always been hijacked by unscrupulous criminal elements who seize the opportunity to commit heinous crimes.
He said, “I most humbly appeal to Nigerians, particularly those that have decided to embark on the planned street protest, to have a rethink and take a second look at what could be the possible outcome of embarking on such an exercise for our security, economy, and existence. Our past experiences with mass protests are that they are usually hijacked by unscrupulous elements who use the opportunity to commit heinous crimes and thus turn an otherwise peaceful protest into a riot.
“Whatever we are going through right now cannot be compared to the experience of civil unrest and the chaos that could ensue therefrom. Needless to mention, nations that are currently going through wars with the attendant carnage and destruction. We do not even want to imagine what the experience would be, and we must forbid it. My humble call and appeal, therefore, to both government, the organisers and/or proponents and supporters of the planned protest, is to call off the protest, come together for a frank and sincere discussion on what must be done immediately begin to turn around the plight of the people for good.”
