THE military has warned the organisers of planned nationwide protest over economic hardship in the country against any sort of violence.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, said at a press briefing in Abuja today that the military will not allow Nigeria to descend into anarchy.
He hinted that organisers of the planned protest intend to replicate the recent protest-turn-anarchy demonstration in the East African country Kenya.
General Buba stated that while citizens have the freedom to express their grievances, the military will not tolerate any type of violent gatherings or protests.
He went on to say that the military had discovered attempts by unscrupulous individuals to hijack the protest and turn it violent, assaulting innocent Nigerians and businesses.
“While citizens have the right to peaceful protest, they do not have the right to mobilise for anarchy and unleash terror.
“It is easy to see that the contemporary context of the planned protest is to shadow the outrage in Kenya which I must say is violent and remains unresolved,” he said.
“The level of violence being envisaged can only be described as a stage for anarchy.
“The Armed Forces on its part will not stand by and allow anarchy to befall our nation. This is because we have seen wars and have witnessed anarchy in countries with which we have operated, particularly in times of ECOMOG (Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group) and during our peacekeeping operations in various countries.
He pointed that some people fantasise about war, believing it to be similar to watching films, but they are unable to comprehend the devastation that war brings.
The police had also issued a warning against violent protests next month.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu, governors, and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have urged Nigerians to postpone the planned ‘EndBadGovernance’ demonstration scheduled for next month.
The protest against economic hardship, which has gained pace on social media, is set to take place in all states of the Federation as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, in August.
The protest organisers however have not been identified.
In recent months, prices for food and basic goods have skyrocketed, as Nigerians grapple with one of the country’s biggest inflation and economic crises, triggered by the government’s dual policies of removing petrol subsidies and unifying forex windows.
