Victor Ezeja
The Nigerian military has warned that the proposed nationwide protests From August 1 to August 10 by the citizens may be hijacked by unscrupulous element to unleash terror in parts of the country.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, who made this known on Thursday in a statement, said intelligence reports indicate that the protest is a ploy to replicate what happened in Kenya.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe defence spokesperson said the military will not watch the nation descend into anarchy.
“There are strong indicators that unscrupulous elements plan to hijack the process, leading to anarchy,” General Buba stated.
“The level of violence envisaged is best described as a state of anarchy. It is for this reason the armed forces will not watch and allow the nation to spiral out of control to such low levels.
“The aim of the protest is to show you what is happening in Kenya. And I would add that what is happening in Kenya in terms of the protest, one, is violence. Two, it remains unresolved as we speak now.
READ ALSO: Nigerian Govt Begs Citizens To Shelve Planned Nationwide Protest
“It is for this reason that, troops will act dutifully to forestall such ugly occurrences from happening in our nation,” Buba said in a statement.
Buba noted that the citizens have right to peaceful protest as stated in the constitution but it must not degenerate into anarchy.
“The constitution is clear on the military’s role and involvement. Citizens have the right to peaceful protest, but not to mobilize for anarchy and unleash terror.”
Prime Business Africa reports that Nigerians are planning to stage nationwide protests from August 1 to 10 in reaction to a cost of living crisis in the country, especially within the last one year. National inflation rate has continued to rise, currently standing at 34.19 per cent, highest in the last 28 years. The high food cost continues to be a major driver of the inflation rate.
The Federal government has called for calm, pleading for more time to fix the problems causing economic hardship.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
