The Department of State Services (DSS) has issued a warning against a planned protest in Nigeria, stressing that “while peaceful protest is a democratic right of citizens, the Service has confirmed a sinister plan by some elements to infiltrate the protest and use it to cause chaos and extreme violence in the land.”
The DSS issued the warning in a statement from Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications, Peter Afunanya, on Thursday.
According to the DSS, the protest is politically motivated, aimed at discrediting both the federal and state governments while seeking a regime change. The agency has identified the sources of funding, sponsors, and collaborators behind the plot.
While acknowledging the right to peaceful protest, the DSS urges demonstrators to avoid violence and engage with authorities in a peaceful manner.
The full statement reads:
“The Department of State Services (DSS) has followed the discourse on planned protests in parts of the country in the coming weeks by persons and groups yet to identify themselves in the public as leaders of the plot. While peaceful protest is a democratic right of citizens, the Service has confirmed a sinister plan by some elements to infiltrate the protest and use it to cause chaos and extreme violence in the land. It has also identified the reason behind the protest to be political. The plotters desire to use the intended violent outcome to smear the federal and sub-national governments; make them unpopular and pit them against the masses. The long term objective is to achieve a regime change especially at the Centre.
“The Service has also identified, among others, the funding lines, sponsors and collaborators of the plot. However, it does not think that aggression should be the first line action in the instance, in handling the emerging scenario. It has instead, variously applied non kinetic and conflict resolution strategies, including moral suasion, stakeholder engagement and other multi-track diplomatic shuttles, to dissuade the planners from actualising their undesirable objective.
“Based on the foregoing, the Service wishes to warn all the protest groups to eschew any form of proposed rage, anarchy and spoliation. While the different levels of Government have routinely explained their agenda to ameliorate alleged harsh economic conditions, the Service urges the prospective protesters to listen to the voice of reason, good conscience and patiently engage with the authorities, in the interest of peace. This has become important given that violence begets destruction of lives and property as well as serve as a distraction to governance. The agitators are encouraged to use ample ways available to them to channel their grievances without resorting to violence.
“The Service calls on people of goodwill, Leaders of Thought, Captains of Industry, Labour Unions, Student Associations, Youth Leaders, the Civil Society, Clergy, NGOs, Women groups, Civil Servants and Politicians to shun any invitation to participate in any orchestrated violence, deliberately designed to cause disaffection in the country. Similarly, Parents, Guardians, Heads of traditional and academic institutions are respectively urged to advise their children, wards, subjects and students not to take part in the planned protest. Let us all join hands to build a Nation without rancour, bitterness or stained banner.
“The Service will work with other sister Security and law enforcement agencies to maintain peace. It will, where necessary, apply all legitimate methods to achieve this. Meanwhile, the website, dss.gov.ng; email address – [email protected] and Telephone lines +2349153391309; +2349088373514 will remain available to the members of the public who may wish to contact the Service.”
