Human rights lawyer, Mr. Inibehe Effiong, has accused the police of not taking threats made by government-sponsored thugs against peaceful protesters seriously.
Effiong made the accusation in his X handle after a virtual meeting between the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, lawyers and activists on Tuesday.
Others who attended the virtual meeting were police spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi, Senior Advocates Femi Falana and Ebun Adegboruwa, Inibehe Effiong.
This came against the background of bad governance facing the country with a trending video showing protesters in Lagos trying to block people protesting peacefully.
The remark by Asari Dokubo, the militant threatening to deal with protesters in Niger Delta region has not caught ther attention of those in authority.
Effiong recalled ‘‘I attended an ‘interesting’ meeting called by the Inspector General of Police to discuss the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests scheduled to commence on August 1.
The meeting also had in attendance the Force PRO, Falana SAN, Adegboruwa SAN and some other civil society leaders and activists.
The meeting was held virtually this afternoon and had about 16 attendees. The meeting was convened by the IGP in response to the letter by Mr Adegboruwa to the IGP on behalf of the Take It Back Movement (TIB).
It became necessary to invite other groups and individuals for a broader discussion.’’
According to him, ‘‘When I was invited to speak, I asked the IGP specifically if he was aware of the trending video in circulation showing some thugs in Lagos threatening to unleash violence on protesters and warning people not to join the protest?
I also asked him if he will direct the Lagos State Commissioner of Police to arrest the said thugs to serve as a deterrent to those who are planning to cause unrest. The IGP, sadly, did not address this particular question, despite that he was reminded of my question by other participants.
The IGP also advised (or should I say took the position) that the protests should be confined to specific locations).’’
Effiong observed that ‘‘This made me to ask the IGP directly if the police will disrupt any protest that is held outside the locations that have been communicated to him; given his advice that protesters should not embark on marches or rallies but should be restricted to identified venues.
‘‘The IGP responded to me that there is no plan to disrupt rallies on the road or any protest held outside the ‘designated’ venues.
‘‘However, he further indicated that the police cannot guarantee the security of protesters who are not confined to the locations that have been communicated to him or CPs in the various States.
My final contribution was to remind the IGP to be mindful of the fact that there have been IGPs before him, and that he should be thinking about legacy and his place in history, and that if this protest is peaceful, history will remember him for his role, but that if anyone is killed by the police, it will also be recorded for him as his legacy.’’
‘‘My deductions are: 1. The IGP assured that security will be provided to protesters who are gathered at the venues that have been communicated to the IGP and CPs.
2. The police have not taken threats made by government sponsored thugs against peaceful protesters seriously.
3. The police have accepted that there is nothing that can stop the protest from taking place.
4. The IGP said that the military will not be deployed during the protests, but that they may be invited if there’s violence that the police cannot control.
5. I am encouraging people to write to the CPs in the various States and notify them of the places they want to converge.
6. Rallies and marches should be done in a coordinated manner,’’ he tweeted.
The Planned Protests
The meeting is believed to be part of the Nigerian government’s efforts to prevent the planned protest by young Nigerians from turning violent.
The young Nigerians, who have been mobilising on social media, have vowed to proceed with the protest on Thursday despite calls by the government, traditional rulers and clerics.
The protesters are demanding economic reforms, including the reversal of the government’s removal of petrol subsidies, which led to a 300 per cent in the pump price of petrol last year.
Since last year, government policies have led to astronomical increases in the prices of goods and services, leading to Nigeria’s worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.
Suppressing the Protests
The government has taken various steps to suppress the protests including arresting some suspected promoters.
Between Friday and Tuesday, the State Security Service (SSS) and the police have arrested no fewer than seven people across Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto and Niger states. These people, some of them now freed, were arrested for either marketing the protest kits or promoting the protest slogan online.
In Niger State, a district head was stripped of his traditional title for simply declaring support for the upcoming nationwide protest.
This newspaper reported that the IGP, Mr Egbetoken, met with all commandants of mobile police units across the country in Abuja last Saturday. One of the commandants told our reporter that the meeting was in connection with the protest.
The use of mobile police suggests that the government suspects the protests could turn violent and there would be the need to use force against the protesters.
Last Thursday, President Tinubu met with Islamic clerics, traditional rulers and All Progressives Congress (APC) governors.
All three groups have appealed to Nigerians to shelve the protests.
Protesters Resolute
Despite calls to shun the protest, the organisers remain resolute.
Specifically, they are calling for the reversal of the fuel price hike to below N300 per litre, the restoration of affordable electricity tariffs, and the reduction of import duties to their previous rates.
The groups also demand the reversal of the hike in tertiary education fees by many institutions.
The protesters are also demanding full transparency and accountability in governance, including the public disclosure and reduction of public officials’ salaries and allowances and an emergency fund to support SMEs.
They also call for electoral reforms, including the autonomy of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), electronic transmission of live electoral results, and the reopening of national borders.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that on Monday, some protesters blocked a major highway leading to Abuja.
The protesters carried placards with several inscriptions such as ‘We Are Not Slaves’, ‘Enough is Enough’; ‘Stop Anti-Masses Policies’, ‘Hardship Is Unbearable’ and ‘Fuel Subsidy Must Be Back.’
The police later dispersed the protesters, forcing them to postpone the demonstration till 1 August, the original starting day of the planned protest.
