The Nigerian Military has promised to step in if the current protest against hunger and bad governance in the country escalates, as it has in some parts of the country.
During a press conference held on Friday by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa noted that the military will not allow the protesters to loot and destroy properties in the country.
The CDS, who encouraged the protesters to show understanding with the government, noted that he was personally aware of the challenges the country and its citizens are passing through. He noted that at this moment, the whole citizens of the country should be united against all odds and fight for the betterment of the nation.
The senior military officer who frowned at the destruction of properties in the country explained that the military would not sit and watch lawlessness prevail in the country. He noted that the military would act appropriately when the demonstration escalated beyond the handling of the police.
He explained that some individuals have believed that such an opportunity is a time for them to loot and steal from the properties around the country; the defence chief noted that such a scenario would not be tolerated, noting that they will be arrested and prosecuted as the law stipulates.
On Friday, in Abuja, the nation’s Capital, the protest resumed when the aggrieved Nigerians recovered at the MKO Abiola Stadium; the second day of the demonstration took a different turn when the police injured some protesters after refusing to restrict the demonstration to the stadium.
The protesters were attacked by security operatives near the National Hospital; the security men made use of tear gas and live ammunition to disperse the protesters from the scene; the situation created apprehension, which resulted in some of the protesters running into the bush while some other sustained different degrees of injuries.
The harassment from the security agencies did not stop the protesters from moving on; they reassembled at the Berger roundabout in the FCT; after they reassembled, the security agencies failed to allow them to continue with the process. They were attacked and tear-gassed, which scattered their gathering.
The protesters, who stayed on the street for the whole day, maintained that the confrontations by the police and other security agencies would not stop them from demanding a better life for the people. They established that the current protest would not have been held had the president addressed the citizens and spoken about alleviating the people’s suffering.
After a gunfire exchange with police on Friday by some unknown gunmen, the police in FCT directed all hospitals to report any individual with gunshot wounds to the FCT police command. A statement released by the police public relations officer of the FCT police command explained that some hoodlums who saw the protest as an opportunity to steal and extort the residents were engaged by the security operatives.
She explained that some of the criminals escaped with gunshot wounds in the capital of the country; she further explained that the request is in line with the compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act 2017. The statement further cautioned residents to avoid being criminals during the protest.
In Bauchi, the security operatives harassed individuals seen on the streets protesting, including people with disabilities; the security men at the government house gate went into a confrontation with the president of the Liberalisation of Physically Challenged People, Hamza Waziri. in the state.
The protesters had approached the state house demanding a better livelihood; the president explained that they only took to the street to exercise their right to peaceful protest when the security agents at the gate attacked them without any form of conformation; he noted the security went on to punch him on the face.
He explained that out of the ten protesters who protested at the gate of the government house, the security agencies decided to attack only him. He noted that the protesters were only demanding inclusivity in employment and nothing more.
The special adviser of media and publicity to the state government, Mukhtar Gidado, has informed the press that an investigation is ongoing into the incident.
In Yobe State, some hoodlums took advantage of the protest and attacked the office of the Red Cross in Gujba, Maiduguri-Potiskum Road, Damaturu; the hoodlums unfortunately destroyed some vehicles of the organization while properties were stolen.
The curfews placed on Kano, Jigawa, Borno, and Yobe remain; there were cases of protesters regrouping in some parts of the states, but security agents dispersed the protesters immediately such reports were received in the respective states.
Protesters in Lagos state have returned to the streets for the third day of the demonstration; for now, the president has failed to listen to the protesters and none of their demands have been met.
