Police caution against planned protest in Nasarawa State

The Nasarawa State Police Command has cautioned organisers and intended participants of a planned protest in Lafia against embarking on the action, urging them to explore lawful and alternative channels to express their grievances.

The command, in a statement issued on Friday by SP Ramhan Nansel, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), said that the protest was reportedly being organised by a group known as Concern Women in Politics, Lafia Local Government.

According to the statement, the group had called on about 10,000 women to take to the streets on Aug. 17 to protest what it described as the arbitrary arrest and illegal detention of suspected followers of retired Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar Adamu.

It stated that the Commissioner of Police, Mr Shetima Mohammed, while acknowledging citizens’ right to express grievances through lawful means, cautioned against the planned street protest, citing the fragile security situation in Lafia.

Mohammed urged the organisers and intended participants to engage relevant authorities through dialogue and other legitimate means to seek redress for their perceived grievances.

He warned that street gatherings could be hijacked by miscreants, infringe on the rights of other members of the public, disrupt socio-economic activities and threaten peace and security in the state.

The commissioner assured residents that the command remained committed to protecting the fundamental rights of citizens and maintaining peace and public order across the state.

He, however, warned that security agencies would not allow any individual or group to truncate the peace in the state.

Mohammed said anyone found engaging in acts capable of causing a breach of public peace, obstructing lawful activities, destroying property, attacking persons or violating the law would be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with extant laws.

He called on residents of Lafia and the state to remain calm, law-abiding and peaceful, and to resist attempts to use the proposed protest as a platform to cause disorder or undermine the peace of the state.