The Defence Headquarters has issued a warning to those mobilizing for a nationwide protest, emphasizing that while peaceful protest is a right, any form of anarchy will not be tolerated.
The protest, scheduled from August 1 to August 10, 2024, is organized under the hashtag #EndBadGovernance, with claims of widespread hunger and inflation as its central grievances.
At a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, stated that the military is prepared to prevent any attempts to turn the protest into a violent upheaval. “While citizens have the right to peaceful protest, they do not have the right to mobilize for anarchynd unleash terror,” Buba asserted.
He warned that the current protest bears similarities to violent unrest seen in Kenya and stressed that the military will not allow the nation to descend into chaos. “The Armed Forces will not stand by and allow anarchy to befall our nation. We have seen wars and witnessed anarchy in countries where we have operated,” Buba added, referencing past ECOMOG and peacekeeping missions.
The warning comes in the wake of a similar protest in 2020, which ended after military intervention at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos. Despite a curfew declared by the Lagos State government, protesters remained at the tollgate, leading to a forceful dispersal by soldiers.
The Federal Government and military authorities denied causing harm to the protesters, despite reports of deaths and injuries.
The Defence Headquarters remains vigilant to ensure that any potential unrest does not escalate into widespread violence.
