Days of Rage: Boko Haram Planning To Infiltrate Protesters-Police

The Yobe state Police Command has warned that members of the deadly insurgents group, Boko Haram are trying to infiltrate the nationwide protest next month.

The state police spokesman, Dungus Abdulkarim made the revelation in a statement at the weekend.

Abdulkarim appealed to protesters to be peaceful as well as availing the police their plans for the protest.

The police admonition comes on the heels of warning from the federal government of the potetntial of the protest being hijacked by hoodlums.

The government has been making efforts to ensure that the protest arising from hunger and hardship in the country slated for August 1-10 did not hold, by engaging traditional, religious and other opinion leaders in the country to appeal to the organisers of the protest to shelve their plan.

The organisers however insist that the 10-day protest to force government’s hands to do something about the current economic harship in the country will still go ahead as planned.

According to the statement, the protest will set the state back from its recovery from boko haram attack, a situation that could pose a big challenge to security agencies, urging potential protesters to cooperate with the police with the aim of making the proest peaceful.

The statement said, “As Yobe state recovers from insurgency, the commissioner of police, CP Garba Ahmed, acknowledges citizens’ constitutional rights to peaceful assembly.

“While we alert citizens to sinister motives, even peaceful protests at this time may be ill-timed. Recent insurgency activities in Gujba LGA, including an improvised explosive device explosion, have raised concerns.

“By providing this information, we can deploy adequate personnel and resources, designate specific routes and areas, establish clear communication channels, and minimise the risk of violence, property damage, or criminal activity.

“We encourage protesters to cooperate with the police, obey the law, and adhere to global best practices for peaceful assembly. We are committed to working with all to promote peaceful expression and maintain public order,” the command said.

Recall that the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun claimed last week that some foreigners are behind the protest coming up in few days.