* As cleric cautions against use of military force
The Federal government has declared that the ongoing nationwide protest tagged EndSARS is no longer peaceful, warning that it will not fold its hands and allow the country to be thrown into anarchy.
The warning followed the violence that has trailed the #EndSARS protests in some parts of the country, specifically the attack on Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State on Saturday.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, gave the warning on Saturday when he featured on a late night Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) news programme – “Weekend File”.
He said the physical attack on Oyetola was a clear confirmation that the protests have been hijacked by hoodlums and people with ulterior agenda.
According to Mohammed, the original conveners of the #EndSARS protests might have meant well, but are no longer in control of the movement.
“Peaceful protest is an integral part of democracy and that is why the Federal Government in the last 11 days has treated the protesters in a very civilised manner,” Mohammed said.
“But if you look at what happened to the governor of Osun State, it has gone completely beyond peaceful protest against excesses and abuse of power by the police.
“There is nowhere in the world where a government will folds its arms and allow the country to descend into anarchy.
“We are no longer dealing with #EndSARS but a volatile situation that can lead to anarchy if government does not take some very firm steps to protect the lives and livelihood of innocent Nigerians,” he said.
Mohammed said a movement where protesters are now blocking the roads and highway cannot be said to be peaceful because workers are finding it difficult to get to their offices and back home while many Nigerians are stranded on the roads.
“We have nothing against peaceful protest but there are civilized ways of doing so,” he said.
“This is by going to a venue where you are not going to disturb other Nigerians because where your own right stops, other person’s right begins,” he said.
Meanwhile, the founder of the Omega Fire Ministries, Apostle Johnson Suleman, has cautioned that any attempt to break up the EndSARS protests by unleashing the military will only open up new demands that will be disastrous and regrettable.
Apostle Suleman made the comments in a series of tweets late on Saturday while reacting to the announcement by the Nigerian Army that it was commencing its annual exercise, Operation Crocodile Smile amidst the ongoing nationwide protests.
The cleric, who hinted that the military exercise which will commence nationwide on October 20, 2020, is to counter the protest that has lasted over two weeks, warned that any move against the peaceful protest by the youth will be disastrous.
Apostle Suleman tweeted: “Attempting to break the youths by unleashing the military will only open up new demands. That will be disastrous and regrettable.
“The reactions to years of oppression can’t stop in a week. @MBuhari, if Kolade Johnson, Jimoh Ishaq, etc, were your children, will you be quiet?” he asked in the Twitter post.