Kwara State Police Command has banned protests, rallies and processions in all parts of the state in the meantime.
In a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Okasanmi Ajayi, on behalf of the state commissioner of Police, Paul Odama, the command said that the ban became inevitable “owing to an intelligence report indicating that hoodlums have perfected plans to hijack any rally or procession to cause chaos.
Titled, TEMPORARY BAN ON UNLAWFUL PROTEST, RALLIES AND UNLAWFUL PROCESSIONS IN KWARA STATE, the statement also described the ban as temporary, “to evaluate and access the security situation in the state”.
The command also said that aggressive patrols of the state and raids on criminal hideouts would continue, adding that it would do everything legally possible to ensure safety and security of the state.
It will be recalled that some groups of Nigerians have continued to express their grievances over naira and fuel scarcity through protests and rallies in some state capitals and cities in recent times.
“This order becomes inevitable owing to an intelligence report indicating that hoodlums have perfected plans to hijack any rally or procession and use the process to cause chaos and jeopardize the current fragile peace in the country and by extension, Kwara state.
“The Commissioner of Police of Kwara State, CP Paul Odama, who understands that it is constitutional for the citizens to protest peacefully, however, in a situation where such a protest or rally could be hijacked putting the lives and property of the people and government at risk would not be acceptable.
“This is a temporary ban to evaluate and access the security situation in the state.
“It is pertinent to also advise political party leaders to warn their supporters to desist from inciting and unguided statements on social, print and electronic media capable of inflaming crisis and heating of the polity.
“Consequently, aggressive patrols of the state and raids on criminal hideouts would continue as the command would do everything legally possible to ensure the safety and security of the good people of Kwara State”.