National Coordinator of Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), CSP Olabisi Okuwobi, has charged Nigerian youths to embrace non-criminal assembly and shun violent protests in order to avert dire consequences.
Okuwobi, gave the charge on Friday, August 2, 2024 following the ongoing hunger protest in the country.
The POCACOV boss, who pointed out the looting, carnage and destruction that came with Monday’s protests which were expected to be peaceful as promised, expressed concern about the involvement of mostly youths in the unfortunate incident.
She spoke on the negative effects of the damages carried out on government and private properties, saying that they would be a drawback to the development of the nation and individuals.
The National Coordinator’s admonition tallies with that of the Inspector General of Police, Dr Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, when, in his speech on Monday, he advised law abiding citizens of Nigeria to heed warnings and not dismiss them, based on credible and actionable security intelligence.
The IGP spoke on the recorded incident of explosion which occurred in the crowd of protesters in Borno State, killing four people instantly while 34 others were severely injured, many of whom are currently on the danger list.
The IGP had added: “In places like FCT, Kaduna, Kano and Gombe, among others, we recorded incidents of unprovoked attacks on security personnel, where one policeman has been reported murdered and others seriously injured.”
The IGP had also disclosed that the police earlier alerted citizens that terror elements might take advantage of the protests to infiltrate the crowd of protesters with suicide bombers, which played out right on the first day of the protests.
CSP Okuwobi enumerated the negative effects of violent protests which included: Physical harm and injury to individuals, damage to property and infrastructure, disruption of essential services and daily life, economic losses and instability, strained relationships and polarization within communities.
“It may throw up sectionalism, tribalism, religious bigotry, erosion of trust in institutions and authorities, creation of fear and anxiety among the public, distraction from the original issue or goal of the protest, opportunity for extremists or criminal elements to exploit the situation to cause further unrest/pogrom, thereby jeopardizing security, negative impact on the image and reputation of the movement or cause and even the country, potential for escalation into further violence and conflict, legal consequences and criminal charges for participant, emotional trauma and psychological distress for those involved, disruption of social and community cohesion, capable of holding back foreign and local investors out of fear of losing their investments.”
