The police leadership in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has deployed 4,200 officers ahead of a statewide protest in August.
Organisers have dubbed the marches ’10 Days of Rage’, and they are set to begin on August 1.
In a statement released on Friday, FCT police spokesman Josephine Adeh stated that the officers’ deployment is “aimed at ensuring public safety, protecting protesters, and preventing protests from being hijacked by non-state actors.”
Adeh stated that Benneth Igweh, FCT police spokeswoman, has assured citizens that officers will protect lives and property while not condoning violence.
She urged residents to report any suspicious movements and remain vigilant.
The statement reads:
“The FCT Police Command, in anticipation of the planned nationwide protest by some human rights activists and Nigerian youths to publicly express their displeasure over hunger and hardship, has proactively deployed material and human resources at the command’s disposal across the nooks and crannies of the nation’s capital.”
“The proactive deployment, which is aimed at ensuring public safety, protection of protesters, and preventing protests from being hijacked by non-state actors, is characterised by visibility policing, the deployment of explosive ordinance devices (EOD) experts and personnel at various strategic locations, raids on identified black spots, uncompleted buildings/shanties, stop and search, vehicular and foot patrol and synergy with sister security agencies.”
Federal and state governments, including President Bola Tinubu, have urged youths to postpone the demonstration.
Religious and traditional entities have also urged the postponement of the planned event.
The military and the Department of State Services (DSS) stated that there are signs that the protest will be hijacked by hoodlums.
Source: TheCable