The military issued a stern warning on Friday to looters exploiting the #EndBadGovernance protests, urging them to cease the destruction of lives and properties. At a press conference in Abuja on the second day of the demonstrations against economic hardship and the high cost of living, Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa described the extent of the first day’s destruction as “crazy.”
He emphasized that the Armed Forces will not tolerate ongoing looting and destruction. General Musa noted that the Bola Tinubu administration, in power for a year, has been striving to boost economic activities and that the economic crisis and high cost of living in Nigeria are part of a global phenomenon. He urged Nigerians to give the government time to address these challenges.
“So, we want to call on all Nigerians to understand the government. If you have grievances, which I know people have, a lot of challenges here and there, and it is not only in Nigeria alone; everywhere in the world is facing one economic or security crisis or the other. And so, it is important to understand that we are not alone,” said General Musa. “But what we can do is not allow criminals and individuals that have lost out to take advantage of this to destroy our country. We should realise that these destructions, monies have to be used to replace them so that we can move forward.”
Protests Over High Living Costs
Tension escalated across Nigeria on Thursday as the highly anticipated #EndBadGovernance protests began in almost all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. Policemen were seen dispersing demonstrators, mainly youths, with tear gas on the first and second days of the protests, an action condemned by civil society organizations (CSOs).
The protests turned violent when hoodlums took advantage of the situation, looting public and private properties. In response, several state governments, including Kano, Borno, Yobe, Katsina, Nasarawa, and Jigawa, imposed curfews in volatile local government areas.
Amnesty International reported several deaths. Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun confirmed the murder of a policeman, injuries to other officers, and the burning of police stations.
The nationwide protests, driven by social media, began on August 1, 2024, and are scheduled to continue until August 10. Nigerians are grappling with soaring food prices and one of the worst inflation rates, exacerbated by the government’s removal of petrol subsidies and the unification of forex windows.
Protesters are demanding the restoration of petrol subsidies, the resolution of food shortages, reduction of unemployment, and curbing wasteful government spending. They also call for immediate reforms of the electoral commission INEC and the anti-graft agency EFCC, and a renewed fight against corrupt politicians.
Call for Peaceful Protest
General Musa acknowledged that the message of peaceful protesters has been communicated to all levels of government. He urged peaceful protesters to avoid allowing troublemakers to incite violence.
“We know we are challenged as a nation but we know we will overcome working together as Nigerians… Let us avoid anything that will bring mayhem to our country,” he said.
Military Prepared to Act
General Musa described the destruction witnessed on Thursday as unimaginable and reiterated that the military will not stand by idly.
“Yesterday (Thursday, August 1, 2024), we saw the level of destruction that has been carried out. Just yesterday. So you can imagine if this continues for so long. Yesterday, we saw some people breaking down houses, stealing windows and doors. It was just crazy yesterday and we don’t want that to happen again. The Armed Forces and the entire security agencies will not stand by and see that continue. We want to warn those that are recalcitrant; those that don’t want to listen that we will not fold our arms and allow this country to be destroyed. We will take action and the action we will take, we will take it professionally. Anyone that is caught will be taken to court and will be dealt with,” he said.
He added, “There are a bunch of people who believe that it is only through this medium that they will be able to loot, steal and destroy. And that is what they tried to do yesterday but we have arrested most of them that broke into places to steal and they will be prosecuted accordingly.”
Military Ready to Intervene
General Musa affirmed that security forces were effective on Thursday and are prepared to intervene if necessary.
“We are supporting the police all through. We are just on standby. The police is doing a good job; they are handling the situation for now. Unless it breaches beyond what they can handle then the military will step in. The military is on standby and we are watching day and night,” he said.
Identifying Sponsors
General Musa also stated that efforts are underway to identify those sponsoring the looting.
“We are also going behind to ensure that we also identify those that are involved; there are individuals who are sponsoring them, pushing them to do this, we are going after them,” he said.
He urged the media not to provide a platform for those seeking momentary fame through these actions.
