On Sunday, the Benue State Police Command issued a warning against holding protests anywhere in the state.
The leadership issued a strong warning against any kind of protest, saying that it had learned through information that certain people intended to hold a demonstration.
It mentioned that the state is going through a difficult time.
The command did not, however, specify whether or whether the planned demonstration was a reaction to the armed robbery that occurred in Otukpo last Friday.
Remember that last Friday, suspected armed robbers invaded five banks in the historic town of Otukpo, killing numerous persons, including an Otukpo Divisional Police Officer and three police officers.
Two of the thieves who were running away were confirmed dead by police following a gunfight with security personnel near the Otukpo/Taraku route.
Unverified rumors further stated that four of the alleged armed robbers who had fled had been taken into custody.
The planned protest was described as a plot to undermine police efforts to manage the “fragile security situation” in the state by Catherine Anene, the command spokesperson, in a statement headed “Benue Police Command Warns Against Protest At This Trying Time.”
The statement said, in part, “This is a plan to sabotage efforts of the police to control the delicate security situation that is currently being handled, according to CP. Bartholomew Nnamdi Onyeka, Commissioner of Police, Benue State Command.
He went on to say that a demonstration at this time would give thugs and other criminals a chance to wreak chaos.
The climate is not appropriate for a protest, hence the CP advises anyone planning one to abstain from such acts.
Additionally, the police chief has instructed Commanders and Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) to bolster security within their jurisdictions and thwart any attempts by demonstrators to incite disturbances.
He also urged all relevant parties, including as parents, youth leaders, religious leaders, and traditional rulers, to advise their wards and youngsters to abstain from any forms of protest during this delicate period.
CP Onyeka urged the populace to give the police pertinent information in a timely manner and reassured them of his commitment to combating crime.
