Kayode Egbetokun, Inspector-General of Police (IGP), has revealed that the Force has credible intelligence that foreign mercenaries are involved in the planned nationwide protest.
He spoke in Abuja, on Friday, at a press conference following plans by youths for a nationwide protest from August 1, over the economic hardship in the country.
Egbetokun who cautioned that a peaceful protest in the country at the moment may be ill-timed, said “We note those who have spoken out against any form of protest at this critical juncture, fearing enemies of our country may be manipulating the process.”
“We confirm that their fears are genuine, as we have credible intelligence of foreign mercenaries’ involvement in this planned protest.
“The Nigeria Police urge Nigerians to exercise caution and think twice before joining any protest group while we alert citizens to the sinister motive of certain groups planning to wreak havoc.
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“It has become clear that even a peaceful protest at this time may be ill-timed.
“We issue a strong warning to clandestine groups planning to destabilise the country and hoodlums seeking to exploit the protest for their criminal agenda,” he said.
According to him, the police acknowledged the constitutional right of Nigerians to peaceful assembly, hence, the police will provide security cover during the protest.
“To facilitate an incident-free protest, they (organisers of protest) should please provide the following information: one, proposed protest route and assembly point; two, expected duration of protest; three, names and contact details of protest leaders and organisers; four, measures to prevent hijacking by criminal elements, including key identifiers of possible isolation of potential troublemakers,” he added.
The IGP added that the police are ready to work with all Nigerians to promote “peaceful expression and maintain public order.”
