The Enugu State Police Command has promised to protect residents of the state during the nationwide ‘Day of Rage’ protests against bad governance in Nigeria.
The State commissioner of Police, Kanayo Uzuegbu, who made the pledge during a stakeholders meeting in Enugu on Tuesday, however, appealed stakeholders to dissuade their subjects from engaging in or allowing themselves to be used to perpetrate violence under the guise of protest.
Uzuegbu, who acknowledged the rights of Nigerians to protest against the excruciating hunger and misgovernance that have pervaded the country, he noted that there was need to shelve the plan to avoid criminal elements from taking advantage to hijack the protest and unleash mayhem on innocent citizens, public and private property in the State.
The Commissioner during the meeting with traditional and religious leaders, president-generals of communities, markets, transport, youth, and students’ leaders in the state, cited intelligence report that indicated a sinister to hijack the protest.
The meeting which was sponsored by the state government, the commissioner said was in pursuance to a peaceful atmosphere during the planned nationwide protest in the Enugu State.
A statement by the Command’s spokesman DSP Daniel Ndukwe, said that the CP reaffirmed the resolve of the Police and other security forces to collaborate and ensure a peaceful atmosphere in Enugu State.
“Nonetheless, the Commissioner tasked the stakeholders to dissuade their subjects from engaging in or allowing themselves to be used to perpetrate violence under the guise of protest.
“He acknowledged the right of citizens to assemble and express their grievances. But warned that such rights must be exercised in line with the provisions of the law, particularly the Public Order Act, which stipulates compulsory application and obtaining approval for such exercises.”
Speaking during a part of the meeting with traditional rulers and the president generals of communities, at the House of Chiefs, Enugu, the Chairman of both the Enugu State and Southeast traditional rulers’ council, Igwe Samuel Asadu, thanked the CP for engaging the royal fathers on the critical issue of the nationwide protest.
He assured that the traditional rulers will do everything possible to discourage their subjects from being part of the protest, given the uncertainties surrounding the exercise.
Similarly, the religious, markets, transport, youth, and students’ leaders, who met with the CP at the State Command Headquarters in Enugu, stressed the need for those planning to hold the protest in Enugu State to rethink and shelve the idea.
They emphasised that this is to help avoid the impending hijack of the protest and the consequent violence, destruction of lives, property, and looting.
The leaders further maintained that anything that will bring about reliving the horrible “End SARS” protest, despite the current hardship, must be loathed by all and sundry.
