We will handle protesters professionally – IGP Egbetokun
Inspector-general of police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, has said that it is within the rights of Nigerians to protest.
“We will be professional in handling any protest in Nigeria. Right to protest is right to peaceful protest,” Egbetokun said, according to a post by Force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi.
Egetokun’s statement coincides with President Bola Tinubu’s pleading to youths to shelve their planned protest. On Tuesday, Mohammed Idris, minister of information and national orientation, had said President Tinubu begged for more time to enable him handle the economic hardship facing Nigerians.
“The issue of the planned protest, Mr President does not see any need for that, he asked them to shelve that plan and he has asked them to await government’s response to all their pleas, he has listened to them,” Idris told State House press corps.
TheCornet reports that some Nigerians have given notices of the planned protest on social media. The government, in its initial reaction through Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s special adviser on information and strategy, had accused opposition politician, Peter Obi and his supporters of masterminding the planned protest. On Tuesday, Onanuga intensified his attack on Obi following the latter’s analysis revealing economic retrogression since Tinubu took over the reins of government.
