Ahead of the planned nationwide protest over economic hardship, the military has issued a stern warning to the organizers against any form of violence.
At a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, Major General Edward Buba, the Director of Defence Media Operations, emphasized that the military will not permit anarchy to take hold in Nigeria.
General Buba suggested that the protest organizers might be attempting to replicate the recent protest-turned-anarchy in Kenya. While acknowledging the citizens’ right to express their grievances, he stressed that the military would not tolerate violent gatherings or protests. He revealed that there are plots by unscrupulous elements to hijack the protest and turn it violent by attacking innocent Nigerians and their businesses.
“While citizens have the right to peaceful protest, they do not have the right to mobilize 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,” he said. “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.”
General Buba pointed out that some people romanticize war, imagining it to be like a movie, but cannot comprehend the destruction that accompanies it. He referenced the experiences of the military during ECOMOG (Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group) and peacekeeping operations in various countries to highlight the consequences of anarchy.
The police have also warned against violent protests next month.
In addition, President Bola Tinubu, governors, and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have appealed to Nigerians to abandon the planned ‘EndBadGovernance’ protest scheduled for next month. The protest, gaining traction on social media, is set to take place across all states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, in August. The organizers of the protest have remained anonymous.
Nigerians are grappling with soaring prices of food and basic commodities amid one of the country’s worst inflation and economic crises, exacerbated by the government’s policies of petrol subsidy removal and unification of forex windows.