The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has described the planned nationwide protest against economic hardship in the country as an open invitation to a state of anarchy, warning that the military will not fold its arms and watch anarchy befall the land.
Claiming that the proposed protest in Nigeria is designed to replicate what happened in Kenya in late June this year, Director Defence Media Operations(DDMO), Major General Edward Buba, said intelligence at the military’s disposal showed that the proposed nationwide protest would be hijacked by some unscrupulous elements.
Buba, at a media briefing on ongoing military operations across the country, said: “The aim of the protest is to show you what is happening in Kenya. 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
“So did you see that? And 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.
“For instance, there are signs of status-related violence such that persons with things as basic as a smartphone and car are targets. This does not leave out those who own a house, shop, or even use air conditioners in their houses. Other targets include; places of worship, businesses, markets, persons of other ethnic groups and members of opposing political parties among others. Believe me, when this happens, it is nothing but a state of anarchy, lawlessness.”
Gen. Buba stressed: “We have seen this in other parts of the world when we carried out peacekeeping operations. The military will not stand by and allow anarchy to befall our nation. It is our constitutional responsibility to make sure that that doesn’t happen.
“Some think that it is like when you watch Nollywood or whatever. Oh no, in real life, people stand to lose everything. I don’t need to speak too much. Go to IDP camps. You will see people that have money with big houses. They are living inside tents.
“Based on the foregoing, the level of violence envisaged is best described as a state of anarchy. It is for this reason the armed forces will not watch and allow the nation to spiral out of control to such low levels.
“ It is for this reason that troops will act dutifully to forestall such ugly occurrences from happening in our nation.”
Buba, while noting that the timing and the hardship in the land make the protest not appropriate, said: “On the whole, citizens are urged to note that, both the timing and the atmosphere of hardship in the country makes the planned protest different from others in the past. It is therefore incumbent upon us all, to quench the fires of violence rather than ignite them.
“However, for us in the military, the constitution is clear as to how and when the military gets involved. The constitution also clearly defines the roles and functions of the armed forces. On the other hand, while citizens have a constitutional right to peaceful protest, they do not have a right to mobilise for anarchy to unleash terror.”
