Ahead of the planned nationwide protest slated to start on August 1, police authorities are requesting details of the demonstrators.
During a briefing in Abuja on Friday, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun specifically asked all groups planning to participate in the demonstrations to submit their details to the commissioners of police in their respective states.
“We acknowledge the constitutional right of Nigerian citizens to peaceful assembly and protest,” said Egbetokun.
“However, in the interest of public safety and order, we urge all groups planning to protest to provide necessary details to the Commissioner of Police in the state where the protest is intended to take place.”
“To facilitate a successful and incident-free protest, they should please provide the following information: state the proposed protest routes and assembly points; expected duration of the protest; and names and contact details of protest leaders and organisers.”
The IGP added that the information expected from the organisers also includes measures to prevent hijacking by criminal elements, as well as key identifiers for possible isolation of potential troublemakers.
“We encourage all protesters to cooperate with the police, obey the law, and adhere to global best practices for peaceful assembly to guarantee a safe and successful exercise of their rights,” he said.
President Tinubu Criticizes Protest Sponsors
On Thursday, President Bola Tinubu weighed in on the planned nationwide protests, saying that sponsors of the demonstrations do not love the country. Though he did not identify any sponsor, he said those championing the cause of the protests have alternative passports and hold meetings virtually across the world.
“The sponsors of protests do not love our country. They have no love for the nation. They do not understand citizenship. They have alternative passports,” Tinubu spoke at the Presidential Villa while receiving a delegation of Islamic leaders led by Sheikh Bala Lau.
“They are in different parts of the world holding meetings virtually. We do not want to turn Nigeria into Sudan. We are talking about hunger, not burials. We have to be careful. We should be careful with premature politics; politics of hate, and anger. The internet has made it possible to hold meetings in artificial settings. They hold meetings and sponsor anger,” the President was quoted as saying in a statement by his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale.
President Tinubu argued that protests fueled by anger and hate could degenerate into violence and set the country backward.