Ahead of the planned nationwide protest over economic hardship, the military has issued a warning to organizers against any form of violence.
At a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, Major General Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, stated that the military will not permit any anarchy in Nigeria.
He suggested that the organizers of the protest might be aiming to replicate recent protests-turned-violent in Kenya.
General Buba emphasized that while citizens have the right to express their grievances, the military will not tolerate violent gatherings or protests.
He also revealed that the military has uncovered plans by certain elements to hijack the protest and escalate it into violence, targeting innocent Nigerians and their businesses.
“While citizens have the right to peaceful protest, they do not have the right to mobilise 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. This is because we have seen wars and have witnessed anarchy in countries with which we have operated, particularly in times of ECOMOG (Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group) and during our peacekeeping operations in various countries.
He remarked that some people romanticize war, viewing it as something akin to movie scenes, but fail to grasp the devastating reality and destruction it entails.
In the meantime, President Bola Tinubu, governors, and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have urged Nigerians to reconsider the planned ‘EndBadGovernance’ protest scheduled for next month.
The protest, which aims to address economic hardship and is 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 remain anonymous.
In recent months, the prices of food and basic commodities have soared, as Nigerians face one of the country’s worst inflation and economic crises, triggered by the government’s removal of petrol subsidies and the unification of foreign exchange windows.
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