The Nigeria Police Force has clarified that the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun did not fix 4pm as closing time for protesters in the planned August 1 nationwide protest nor announced any curfew on the proposed protest dates as reported in some section of the media.
The police described the information and media report as mischievous and entirely false.
Police, in a statement by its spokesman, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, Monday night said, “following the recent misinformation regarding the imposition of a curfew ahead of the planned nationwide protest, it has come to our attention that some news outlets, particularly https://www. dockaysworld. com.ng/, have reported that the Inspector General of Police has imposed a strict curfew starting at 4 p.m. for all protests. This information is entirely false and mischievous.”
Adejobi stated categorically that the IGP Egbetokun has not declared any curfew.
“Additionally, it is pertinent to state that such information would have been communicated via the official Nigeria Police Force platforms were it true.
“The false publication suggesting otherwise is a product of the authors’ imaginations and does not represent the position of the Nigeria Police.
“We urge all media outlets and the general public to disregard this misinformation and rely on official statements from the Nigeria Police Force or other authorised government agencies,” police image maker said.
Meanwhile, the IGP also said the nation cannot afford any violent and destructive protests, emphasising the severe negative effects that violent demonstrations can have on the society.
IGP Egbetokun had in his address over the weekend, highlighted several critical points that underscore the importance of maintaining peace and order during protests.
He said, “It is not only in Nigeria that there is hardship. It is a global meltdown. Is the government doing anything about it? Yes! This is what a responsive government will do.”
He stressed that while the current economic challenges were not peculiar to Nigeria, the government was actively working to mitigate their impact and provide relief to the citizens.
Reflecting on the 2020 EndSARS protest, the IGP remarked burning of police stations when criminals took over, noting that arms looted were in places in the wrong hands, and armed robbers took over while women could no longer walk freely once it is 7pm.
He recalled that the destruction of police infrastructure led to the breakdown in law and order, leaving communities vulnerable to criminal activities.
“There are enough lessons to learn from previous violent protests in Nigeria,” the IGP continued, urging citizens to remember the chaos and suffering that followed such events.
