AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
Nigerian youths have been warned against joining criminal assembly in a bid to avert the grave consequences of doing so.
The Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices gave the charge in a statement signed on Friday, August 2 by its National Coordinator, Olabisi Okuwobi, CSP.
Rather than seeding their hearts to evils, he urged the youths to embrace non-criminal assembly and shun violent protests in the interest of peace.
The statement quoted the National Coordinator of POCACOV as saying that the protest embarked upon by some youths on Monday, which was expected to be peaceful as promised, was trailed with looting and destruction.
Describing the incident as unfortunate, Okuwobi pointed out that the damages of government and private properties would draw the development of the country and its people (especially those affected) back.
The remarks of the National Coordinator of POCACOV tallies with that of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, who advised the citizens to heed warnings rather than dismiss it.
The IGP, reacting to the explosion which occurred during the protest in Borno State killing four people and leaving 34 others severely injured, said, “In places like FCT, Kaduna, Kano and Gombe, among others, we recorded incidents of unprovoked attacks on security personnel, where one policeman has been reported murdered and others seriously injured.”
The IGP stressed that the police earlier forewarned the citizens of the possible hijack of the protest by terror elements seeking to take advantage of the protests to cause carnage as seen in Day 1.
In the statement by POCACOV, Okuwobi enumerated the negative effects of violent protests to include, “Physical harm and injury to individuals; damage to property and infrastructure; disruption of essential services and daily life; economic losses and instability; strained relationships and polarization within communities which may throw up sectionalism, tribalism and religious bigotry.”
Others are “Erosion of trust in institutions and authorities; creation of fear and anxiety within the public; distraction from the original issue or goal of the protest; opportunity for extremists or criminal elements to exploit the situation to cause further unrest/pogrom, thereby jeopardizing security; and egative impact on the image and reputation of the movement or cause and even the country.
“Potential for escalating into further violence and conflict; legal consequences and criminal charges for participants; emotional trauma and psychological distress for those involved; disruption of social and community cohesion; and holding back foreign and local investors out of fear of losing their investments.”
