By Anne Osemekeh, Abuja
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has debunked recent accusations alleging that its chief, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, is attempting to rewrite the Constitution by requesting the details of the organizers and leaders of the planned nationwide protests.
This was contained in a statement on Sunday by the Force PRO, Olumuyiwa Adejobi.
TheFact Daily recalls that the police boss had, last week, ahead of the planned nationwide protests, specifically asked all groups planning to participate in the demonstrations to submit their details to the commissioners of police in their respective states. The reason he gave was that the protest was peaceful.
Speaking against this backdrop, political activist and one of the organisers of the planned protests, Deji Adeyanju, in an interview said, “When the constitution was conferring the right to protest on the citizens, did the constitution give conditions for protests? Is the IG trying to rewrite the constitution? Is he trying to donate rights to the citizens or what? He has no such powers. The constitution and other laws of the land do not give the IG the power to dictate how citizens should protest.”
Responding to the allegations, Adejobi, while clarifying that the IGP has never denied the constitutional right of every citizen to freedom of association and expression, pointed out that “the Nigeria Police holds the responsibility to ensure that any activity, including protests, does not pose a threat to national security.
He explained that requesting the details of protest organizers and their leaders and the schedules of their protests which include location, period, routes etc, is a standard procedure to facilitate effective communication, ensure the safety of all participants, and prevent any unlawful activities.
The Force spokesman further emphasized that in the interest of defence, public safety, public order, public morality or public health; or for the purpose of protecting the rights and freedom of other persons as enshrined in Section 45 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the request by the IGP is not out of place.
“It is essential to know who is planning the assembly (protests) in each state as allowing faceless groups to operate unchecked could jeopardize the peace and stability of the country, and leave us with pains, sorrows and tears as experienced in the 2020 violent EndSARS protests. If organized labour and other recognized bodies were involved, it would have provided a more structured and safer environment for such public protests”.
He therefore urged Mr. Adeyanju and other organizers not to mislead Nigerians, while calling on them to join hands in working together to uphold the security and well-being of our nation.
