The police have vowed to resist any act that can lead to a breach of law and order in the country, in their resolve to secure the nation and its people.
They gave the warning in a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Mr Frank Mba, on Saturday hours after Mr Omoyele Sowore was arrested by security operatives.
The police are reacting to a purported viral video by the ‘Global Coalition for Security and Democracy in Nigeria and others’.
In the clip, they said the group called on Nigerians, home and abroad, to join a planned ‘revolution’ march against the Federal Government on Monday,
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According to the police, the planned protest is convened with the sole aim of forcing a regime change in the country.
“The Force wishes to state unequivocally that the call amounts to treasonable felony and acts of terrorism and will therefore not stand idly by and watch any individual or group in the society cause anarchy in the land,” the statement said.
It added, “While acknowledging the rights of Nigerians to embark on protest, the Force wishes to note that such rights should not translate to a violent and forceful change of government which clearly is the meaning of ‘revolution’.
“Nigeria is a democratic republic and has well-defined processes for change of government, exercised periodically during various cycle of elections.”
The Force, therefore, warned the organisers, sponsors, allies, and supporters of the group among others to steer clear of any such planned protest in their own interest.
It insisted that the full wrath of the law would be brought to bear on any individual or group engaged or found participating in what it described as a planned criminal act.
“Parents and Guardians are, therefore, enjoined to impress on their children and wards not to allow themselves to be used in whatever form by any person or group of persons to cause a breach of law and order in the country,” the statement warned.
The police said they would continue to work with other law enforcement agencies and positive minded Nigerians to protect, defend and secure the public peace and space in the country.
Sowore And #RevolutionNow
Sowore, an activist and publisher of online news platform SaharaReporters, was picked up at his apartment in the early hours of Saturday.
His arrest by operatives of the Department of State Services was confirmed by his personal assistant who claimed to have witnessed the incident.
The news website said its publisher’s arrest was not unconnected to #RevolutionNow, a series of planned protests against bad governance in the country scheduled for August 5, 2019.
Mr Sowore contested the presidential election on the platform of the African Action Congress (AAC).
