Ahead of the planned nationwide hunger protest, the Commandant –general, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi, has ordered tight security around government buildings and other critical national assets nationwide.
Audi, who acknowledged that peaceful protest is a democratic right of citizens, said the corps would not rule out the fact that some elements would infiltrate the protest and use the opportunity to cause chaos and extreme violence, as well as destroy critical national assets of government.
He directed immediate deployment of officers and men of the corps to man these in line with their mandate, saying the corps would stop at nothing to ensure that violence, disruption of peace, destruction of properties, looting, vandalism amongst other criminal acts are not perpetrated during and after the exercise.
He gave the assurance that all pipelines, electrical power installations, communication equipment, railway gadgets, as well as schools and all utilities provided by the government for the comfort of the masses and public consumption, would remain intact.
The commandant –general who pleaded with the organisers of the protest to embrace dialogue, warned that any act of destruction of critical assets and infrastructure would further have a debilitating effect on the nation’s economy, hence, the decision to upscale her intelligence and operational mechanism in readiness to combat any all forms of attacks.
He said, “The NSCDC is the lead agency in the protection of all critical national assets and infrastructure across the nation. Consequently, I have directed all state commandants, provosts of colleges and heads of various formations to be on red alert, ensuring that the protection of all critical Infrastructure and assets is taken very seriously”.
“Our commitment to the protection of lives and property of the Nigerian people is a sine qua non, and we will not fold our arms and allow some fifth columnists to instigate Nigerians and its youth against the federal government, under the pretense of staging demonstration or protests”
“Notably, the present economic hardship is not limited to Nigeria alone; it is a global phenomenon that nations of the world are facing serious and critical economic downturns including inflation and food supply shortages, occasioned by climatic and environmental changes. We acknowledge that there are also other factors, but the government in power is not only concerned but is making concerted efforts to resolve while singing the people’s pains.”
Dr. Audi warned Nigerian youths to refrain from being used by faceless and anti-government individuals who have sinister reasons and ulterior motives for calling for such protests.
He called for cooperation and patience with the government through dialogue, a sense of purpose and non-violent engagement protocols.
He further advised the student bodies across the nation to rethink and take advantage of the Student’s Loan Scheme, which attracts no interest and is meant to help Nigerian youths achieve their quest for both f education and vocational training.
