As the planned nationwide protest over economic hardship approaches, the Nigerian military has issued a stern warning against any form of violence during the demonstrations.
In a press briefing on Thursday, Major General Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, emphasized that the military will not allow anarchy to take hold in the country.
He revealed that the protest organizers intend to replicate the recent protest-turned-anarchy seen in Kenya.
“While citizens have the right to peaceful protest, they do not have the right to mobilize for anarchy and unleash terror,” General Buba stated.
“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 warned of the potential for violence and anarchy, citing the military’s experience with conflicts in other countries.
“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 and during our peacekeeping operations in various countries,” he said.
General Buba also mentioned that some unscrupulous elements plan to hijack the protest and incite violence.
“Some people fantasize about war thinking that it is like seeing movies but can’t fathom the destructions that come with war,” he added.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu, state governors, and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have appealed to Nigerians to abandon the planned ‘EndBadGovernance’ protest set for next month.
The protest, gaining traction on social media, is scheduled to take place across all states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, in August. The organizers have remained faceless.
Nigerians are grappling with one of the country’s worst inflation and economic crises, driven by the government’s policies of removing petrol subsidies and unifying forex windows, causing prices of food and basic commodities to skyrocket.