On Thursday, July 25, the Department of State Services (DSS) warned against the planned nationwide protest over the country’s economic hardship caused by the policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government.
The secret police disclosed that it had already identified the sponsors of the planned protest and warned them not to proceed with it as it was not in Nigeria’s interest.
Vanguard reported that the warning was contained in a press statement signed by the director of public relations and strategic communications, Dr. Peter Afunanya.
Meanwhile, the planned nationwide hunger protest is slated for August 1, 2024, but the DSS warned that it had intelligence that the planned protest would be hijacked by hoodlums to cause chaos and extreme violence in the country.
The DSS alleged that the goal of the planners was to cause regime change, especially at the centre, Daily Independent reported.
Part of the statement reads:
“The DSS has followed the discourse on planned protests in parts of the country in the coming weeks by persons and groups yet to identify themselves in the public as leaders of the plot.
“While peaceful protest is a democratic right of citizens, the Service has confirmed a sinister plan by some elements to infiltrate the protest and use it to cause chaos and extreme violence in the land. It has also identified the reason behind the protest to be political.
“Based on the foregoing, the Service wishes to warn all the protest groups to eschew any form of proposed rage, anarchy and spoliation.”
