The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said it will not allow violent protests as the nation braces for a nationwide demonstration next month as hardship spreads.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Edward Buba the director of the Defence Media Operations, said the protesters intend to replicate what happened in Kenya.
“The aim of the protest is to show you what is happening in Kenya. And I would add that what is happening in Kenya in terms of the protest, one, is violence. Two, it remains unresolved as we speak now,” Buba said.
He said that based on intelligence at the defence’s disposal, the proposed nationwide protest would be hijacked by some “unscrupulous elements”.
“So did you see from that? Based on what has been gathered, there are plans by some unscrupulous elements to hijack this protest and make sure that it turns violent.
“When it turns violent, I want to tell you what we have seen as it would likely happen. Indeed, we need to count our blessings.”
A 10-day nationwide protest is expected to kickstart from the 1st of August with the hashtag #EndBadGovernance, given the hunger and hardship that have pervaded the country.
The federal government has however called on Nigerians to shelve the planned protest, saying it understands the plight of the people and working to ameliorate it.
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