Chibok Girls: We Did Not Ban Protests In Abuja—Police Makes U-Turn

Police-brutality

***Only Advisory Notice Issued

Following the wide condemnations that greeted the order on Monday by the Commissioner of Police in Abuja, Joseph Mbu, banning all forms of ‘BringBackOurGirls protests in the FCT, the Police High Command has made a u-turn on that order. This is coming barely 24 hours after Mbu addressed a press conference announcing the ban, stating security threats as reason for the order.

In a press statement signed on Tuesday by the Force spokesman, Frank Mba, and retrieved by Aproko247, the police authorities disclosed that they only issued an advisory notice.

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According to Mba, “the Police High Command wishes to inform the general public that the Force has not issued any order banning peaceful assemblies/protests anywhere in Nigeria.

“It notes however that against the backdrop of current security challenges in the country, coupled with a recent intelligence report of a likely infiltration and hijack of otherwise innocuous and peaceful protests by some criminal elements having links with insurgents, the Police only issued advisory notice, enjoining citizens to apply caution in the said rallies, particularly in the Federal Capital Territory and its environs.”

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The statement added that, “the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, M D. Abubakar, CFR, NPM, mni, psc, stresses the need for the organizers of such rallies to ensure that they seek proper advice and guidance from the Police before engaging in any such exercise so as to avoid any unpleasant circumstances.

“The IGP calls on the general public to see the present position of the Force as a necessary sacrifice for the peace our nation needs, as security is a collective responsibility.

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“Consequently, citizens are strongly advised to reconsider their positions on the issues of rallies and protests in FCT until the existing threats are appropriately neutralized and removed from our midst by relevant security agencies.

Mba concluded that, “the IGP reassures citizens of the commitment of the Force to the protection of lives and property and advancing the course of democracy in Nigeria.”

The campaigners had gone to court on Tuesday to challenge the ban by Mbu on Monday.

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