Citizens Can Protest: Military Confirms Legitimacy Of Protest Rights For Citizens

Citizens Can Protest: Military Confirms Legitimacy Of Protest Rights For Citizens

The Nigerian military has acknowledged that the citizens have the right to stage demonstrations in other to express their grievance on the economic adversity faced by the nation.
However, in anticipation of the scheduled nationwide protest on August 1, the military issued warning to the organizers of the protest, prohibiting any form of violence.

The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, who spoke during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, emphasized the military’s stance against the potential for anarchy in Nigeria.

He suggested that the organizers of the forthcoming protest in Nigeria may seek to emulate the recent demonstration that escalated into chaos in Kenya, a country in East Africa.

General Buba clarified that while the right to express grievances is acknowledged, the military will not tolerate any violent assembly or protests.

Furthermore, he disclosed that the military had identified attempts by nefarious individuals to exploit the protest, aiming to transform it into a violent event by targeting innocent Nigerians and their businesses.

The military general said: “While citizens have the right to peaceful protest, they do not have the right to mobilise for anarchy and unleash terror.

“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.

“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 (Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group) and during our peacekeeping operations in various countries.”

Buba mentioned that some individuals have a romanticized view of war, likening it to watching movies without truly comprehending the devastating consequences that accompany armed conflict.

Ireporteronline reports that President Bola Tinubu, along with governors and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), have urged Nigerians to postpone the planned ‘EndBadGovernance’ demonstration set for the upcoming month.

The protest, which aims to address the economic challenges faced by citizens and has gained momentum on social media, is set to take place in all states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, in August. The organizers of the protest remain anonymous.

The cost of food and essential goods has skyrocketed in recent months, as Nigerians grapple with one of the nation’s most severe inflation and economic crises triggered by the government’s decisions to remove petrol subsidies and unify forex exchange rates.