The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Capital Territory Command, has issued a strong warning to protesters ahead of Monday’s planned demonstrations in Abuja, urging them to refrain from vandalising or destroying critical national assets and infrastructure during the rallies.
Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday, the FCT Commandant, Dr Olusola Odumosu, said the Corps had deployed a large number of officers across the city to ensure peace and protect vital facilities. According to him, the NSCDC remains fully committed to maintaining law and order while safeguarding the lives and property of residents before, during, and after the protests.
“The Corps will not condone any form of vandalism or theft of public and private facilities all in the name of protest,” Odumosu stated. “We have deployed our men from the special forces of the Corps to strategic locations across the FCT. They have been properly briefed on the need to adhere to all operational precautions during the rally.”
He explained that the officers had been instructed to exercise restraint and professionalism while maintaining order. “Our personnel have been warned to avoid accidental discharge, harassment, or intimidation of anyone. We will not tolerate any act of indiscipline or over-zealousness. They are to adopt a non-kinetic approach while carrying out the mandates of the Corps,” he said.
Odumosu cautioned individuals planning to hijack or disrupt the protests to desist, warning that anyone caught with criminal intentions would face the full weight of the law. “Those who think they can use the protest as an opportunity to cause chaos or destroy national property will be arrested and prosecuted according to extant laws,” he warned.
The NSCDC Commandant also appealed to citizens on both sides of the planned demonstrations to respect existing court orders and conduct themselves peacefully. The protests, organised by different groups supporting and opposing the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), are scheduled to take place on Monday in the FCT.
Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services since June 2021. He faces a seven-count charge bordering on terrorism and treasonable felony. He was first arrested in 2015, granted bail in 2017, and fled the country following a military invasion of his home in Abia State. Despite several court rulings ordering his release, the Federal Government has yet to comply, sparking renewed agitation and public outrage.