The Defence Headquarters has issued a warning regarding the planned nationwide protest, cautioning that the demonstration aims to replicate the violent and unresolved protests seen in Kenya.
Maj Gen Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, delivered the warning while addressing journalists in Abuja on Thursday.
He revealed that intelligence indicates the protest could be hijacked by unscrupulous elements, leading to violence and unrest.
He stated, “The purpose of the protest is to illustrate what is happening in Kenya. And I would add that the situation in Kenya concerning the protests is marked by violence and remains unresolved as we speak.
“From this, you can see that based on our findings, there are plans by some unscrupulous individuals to hijack this protest and ensure it turns violent. Once violence erupts, we anticipate what has been observed in similar situations. Indeed, we must count our blessings.
“The level of violence anticipated can only be described as a precursor to anarchy. The Armed Forces, for their part, will not stand by and allow anarchy to descend upon our nation. We have witnessed wars and experienced anarchy in countries where we have conducted operations, especially during ECOMOG (Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group) missions and our peacekeeping efforts in various nations.”
He added, “Citizens can visit any of the IDP camps nearby to witness the consequences of a war-torn situation. They should allow peace to prevail rather than beat the drums of war in our country. They ought to permit the federal government to address the pressing issues effectively so that the nation can flourish once more, rather than succumb to chaos.”
