The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has directed officers to “deal decisively” with arsonists and troublemakers as youths across the nation prepare for #EndBadGovernance protests against hunger and economic hardship starting on Thursday, August 1, 2024. Egbetokun issued the order on the eve of the protests.
In a personally signed statement, the IGP noted that the organizers failed to provide necessary details to the police, including participant names and rally routes. He warned that the police would not tolerate any degeneration into chaos, emphasizing that the movement’s name, “Take It Back Movement,” carried undemocratic and illegal connotations.
Egbetokun directed all police officers to act decisively against any acts of arson, intimidation, harassment, threats to lives and properties, breaches of peace, or criminal activities stemming from the planned protests. He assured that perpetrators would be arrested and prosecuted promptly.
The protests, scheduled to take place across all states and the capital Abuja, are gaining traction on social media as Nigerians grapple with soaring prices and one of the worst inflation rates in recent history. The economic crisis has been exacerbated by the government’s removal of petrol subsidies and the unification of forex windows.