FCT Police Deploy 4,200 Officers Ahead of Nationwide Hunger Protest

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has deployed 4,200 policemen across the nation’s capital ahead of the proposed nationwide protest against hunger and hardship. The deployment is aimed at ensuring public safety, protecting protesters, and preventing the protests from being hijacked by non-state actors.

In a statement by its spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, the command said:

“The FCT Police Command, in anticipation of the planned nationwide protest by some human rights activists and Nigerian youths to publicly express their displeasure over hunger and hardship, has proactively deployed material and human resources across the nooks and crannies of the nation’s capital.

“The proactive deployment, which is aimed at ensuring public safety, protecting protesters, and preventing protests from being hijacked by non-state actors, is characterised by visibility policing, the deployment of explosive ordnance device experts and personnel at various strategic locations, raids on identified black spots, uncompleted buildings/shanties, stop-and-search operations, vehicular and foot patrols, and synergy with sister security agencies.”

The FCT Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igweh, warned that the destruction of public and private properties would not be tolerated during the protest. He advised protesters to be peaceful and vowed to resist all forms of violent protest and lawlessness.

“The Commissioner of Police FCT, while acknowledging the right of residents to protest, advises that it should be peaceful. The CP vows to resist all forms of violent protest and lawlessness, as the police will not be stampeded into allowing the destruction of public and private properties or loss of lives.”

Adeh urged residents to be vigilant and take advantage of the police emergency lines to report suspicious activities.

The nationwide protest is scheduled to hold from August 1 to 10, 2024, over the hardship experienced by citizens in the country.