The Nigeria Police Force has directed all its formations to deploy covert operatives to all nooks and crannies of the country to ensure that there is no protest during the Nigeria’s 64th Independence Anniversary celebrations on October 1.
A Police signal obtained by SaharaReporters on Thursday evening from the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, through the Nigerian Police Department of Operations to all AIG Zone 1 to 17, Commands and units mandated that all necessary measures should be taken to stop the planned nationwide strike by “some unscrupulous elements” during celebrations.
The signal with Ref: DTO: 261604/09/2024, 0900/DOPS/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.T9/395 X SECURITY GENERAL X RE: CB directed all the formations to continue to engage in meetings/dialogue with leadership of identified groups to dissuade them from the planned protest particularly during the Independence Day celebrations.
The IGP warned that nothing untoward should be allowed, insisting that any attempt by miscreants or hoodlums to engage in destruction of lives and property should be promptly resisted.
According to message, the Commissioners of Police should direct officers/men to be at red alert and should maintain well kitted standby men at Command Headquarters while Area Commands and Divisional Police Headquarters to forestall any breakdown of law and order.
The message read: “NIGERIA’S 64TH INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS PLANNED NATIONWIDE STRIKE BY SOME UNSCRUPULOUS ELEMENTS, INGENPOL HAS ORDERED X YOU CONTINUE TO ENGAGE IN MEETINGS/DIALOGUE WITH LEADERSHIP OF IDENTIFIED GROUPS TO DISSUADE THEM FROM THE PLANNED PROTEST DEPLOY COVERT OPERATIVES TO ALL NOOKS AND CRANNIES YOURS X FOR INTELLIGENCE GATHERING/SHARING ALL NECESSARY MEASURES SHOULD BE TAKEN PARTICULARLY DURING THE INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATIONS X TO ENSURE THAT NOTHING UNTOWARD IS ALLOWED. ANY ATTEMPT BY MISCREANTS/HOODLUMS TO ENGAGE IN DESTRUCTION OF LIVES AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE PROMPTLY RESISTED COMPOLS SHOULD DIRECT OFFICERS/MEN TO BE AT RED ALERT MAINTAIN WELL KITTED STANDBY MEN AT COMMAND HQTS, AREA COMMANDS X DIVISIONAL POLICE HQTS, TO FORESTALL ANY BREAKDOWN OF LAW AND ORDER MODE OF DRESS CAMOUFLAGE UNIFORM WITH HAT TACTICAL UNITS TO USE BALLISTIC HELMETS WHILE PERSONNEL FOR COVERT OPERATIONS X OTHER SPECIALIZED SECTIONS X SHOLUD APPEAR IN THEIR APPROVED DRESS/UNIFORM X W.E.F MONDAY 30/09/2024 TILL STAND DOWN ORDER IS GIVEN. ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT AND ENSURE STRICT COMPLIANCE PLEASE.”
A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) had earlier asked workers and other pro-democracy Nigerians to join the forthcoming protests against bad governance slated to start on October 1, 2024.
In a joint statement on Thursday, the CSOs maintained that Nigerians need to participate actively in the nationwide protests because of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s failure to address issues that pushed millions of citizens to hold the #EndBadGovernance protests in August.
The statement was jointly signed by Hassan Taiwo Soweto – National Coordinator, Education Rights Campaign (ERC); Oloye Adegboyega Adeniji – Chairman, Movement for Fundamental Change (MFC); Francis Nwapa – National Secretary, Youth Rights Campaign (YRC); Abiodun Aremu – Secretary, Joint Action Front (JAF); Adebayo Adedeji – Member, Leadership Council, Movement for African Emancipation (MAE); and Temitope Fagunwa – Co-founder, Pan-African Consciousness Renaissance (PACOR-Nigeria.
The groups added that President Tinubu’s actions in the last few days showed that his government was not ready to listen to the wailings and pains of Nigerians.
Originally published in SaharaReporters
