August 02, (THEWILL) – The military has read the riot act to protesters, warning against violence in the ongoing nationwide protest against hunger and economic hardship in the country.
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, who gave the warning on Friday, warned looters taking advantage of the protests to desist from the destruction of lives and properties.
Reacting to the violence and looting of properties that characterised the protest in many parts of the country on Thursday, the CDS warned that its troops are on standby and ready to intervene if the protests persist violently.
“We should realise that these destructions and monies have to be used—monies for development will have to be used to develop these things so we can move forward, and so instead of doing that, we should come together to make sure nothing is destroyed. The statement has already been passed to the local, state, and federal governments,” he said.
Musa commended the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for its attempt to establish order but added that the military would be forced to step in if the violence persists.
“We want to warn those that are recalcitrant, those that don’t want to listen, that we will not fold our hands and see our country destroyed. We will take action, and the action that we’ll take will be professional. Anyone who is caught will be taken to the courts to be dealt with.
“Let us avoid anything that will bring mayhem within our communities. We have seen the level of destruction that has been carried out just yesterday, and so you can imagine if this continues for so long. The armed forces and the entire military security agencies will not stand by and see that to continue.
“I noticed throughout yesterday all the stations were hooked up on the occasion. This is not an election, don’t give them that coverage because some of them are just looking for moments of being on the screen,” he said.
Musa appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the government, saying policies have been enacted and actions have been taken to ensure there is relief from the economic hardship.
“The economic crisis and high cost of living in Nigeria is a global phenomenon. The Bola Tinubu administration has been in power for one year and the government has been doing its best to boost economic activities,” he added.
