The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) police command has deployed 4,200 officers in preparation for a nationwide protest scheduled to begin on August 1.
The protest, dubbed ’10 Days of Rage’ by its organizers, aims to express public displeasure over hunger and hardship in Nigeria.
In a statement released on Friday, FCT police spokesperson Josephine Adeh stated that the deployment is intended to ensure public safety, protect protesters, and prevent the protest from being hijacked by non-state actors.
“The FCT Police Command has proactively deployed material and human resources across the nation’s capital in anticipation of the planned nationwide protest,” Adeh said.
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This includes visibility policing, deployment of explosive ordinance devices (EOD) experts, and personnel at strategic locations, raids on identified black spots, uncompleted buildings and shanties, stop and search operations, vehicular and foot patrols, and coordination with sister security agencies.”
Adeh also assured residents that the police are committed to protecting lives and property while maintaining peace.
Benneth Igweh, another FCT police spokesperson, emphasized that officers will not tolerate any form of violence during the protests.
Residents are encouraged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity.
Federal and state governments, including President Bola Tinubu, have urged youths to reconsider the protest. Religious and traditional leaders have also called for the cancellation of the planned demonstrations.
Additionally, the military and the Department of State Services (DSS) have warned that there are indications the protest could be hijacked by hoodlums.