FCT Police Vow to Resist Violent Protest, Deploy 4,200 Officers

July 26, 2024

Following the proposed nationwide protest scheduled for August 1, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has vowed to resist violent protesters.

Police said 4,200 officers had been deployed to ensure public safety, protection of protesters, and preventing protests from being hijacked by non-state actors.

According to a statement issued on Friday by the FCT Police Public Relations Officers, SP Josephine Adeh, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igweh said: “Acknowledging the right of residents to protest, advises that it should be peaceful.

“The FCT Police Command, in anticipation of the planned nationwide protest by some human rights activists and Nigerian youths to publicly express their displeasure over hunger and hardship, has proactively deployed material and human resources at the command’s disposal across the nooks and crannies of the nation’s capital.

“The proactive deployment, which is aimed at ensuring public safety, protection of protesters, and preventing protests from being hijacked by non-state actors, is characterized by visibility policing, the deployment of explosive ordinance devices (EOD) experts and personnel at various strategic locations, raids on identified black spots, uncompleted buildings/shanties, stop and search, vehicular and foot patrol and synergy with sister security agencies.

“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.”

The police urged residents to be vigilant and take advantage of the Police emergency lines to report suspicious activities through:

08032003913, 08028940883, 08061581938, 07057337653 PCB: 09022222352, CRU: 08107314192.