Police deploy 4,200 officers in FCT ahead of nationwide protest

Ahead of the anticipated nationwide protests, the Federal Capital Territory, or FCT, Police Command, reports that it has dispatched at least 4,200 personnel to several critical points within the territory. 

According to the DAILY POST, young people in Nigeria have planned statewide rallies from August 1 to August 10 to voice their disapproval of the country's hunger and hardships. 

The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, provided a statement to DAILY POST on Friday, in which she said that the Command actively dispersed its available material and human resources throughout the nation's capital to avert disorder.

"Public safety, protection of protesters, and preventing protests from being hijacked by non-state actors" are the three main objectives of the proactive deployment, according to her. 

The PPRO observed that visibility policing, the placement of explosive ordinance devices, and the presence of EOD specialists and staff at different key places were characteristics of the deployment. 

According to her, the officers' operations would involve stop and search procedures, raids on known "black spots," unfinished buildings and shantytowns, foot and vehicle patrols, and coordination with other security organisations.

“The Commissioner of Police FCT, CP Benneth C. Igweh, while acknowledging the right of residents to protest, advises that it should be peaceful.

“The CP vows to resist all forms of violent protest and lawlessness, as the police will not be stampeded into allowing the destruction of public and private properties or loss of lives,” she added.

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