The Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom State, Waheed Ayilara, has deployed 3,200 police officers across the State after a meeting with the State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC ), affiliate bodies and other stakeholders given the planned protest by the labour Union.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Police Public Relations Officer for the State, SP Odiki Macdon, stated that the Commissioner of Police had affirmed the constitutional rights of freedom of expression and association.
However, he emphasized the importance of upholding peace and order while exercising these rights, particularly in the context of protests, which should be conducted in accordance with the laws of the country.
The CP, while calling on the labour union and residents of the state to consider the peace of the state as sacrosanct, warned “criminal elements” who may want to take advantage of any form of protest to perpetrate evil, to have a rethink as the Command “will identify and deal decisively with those fomenting trouble”.
He urged the NLC to maintain peaceful conduct and advised all residents of the state to carry out their lawful activities, assuring them of tight police security at all times.