Police Warn against Incessant Protests in Abia, Demands Four-day Notice

 

Following a spate of anti-government  protests in Abia State, the state police command on Monday warned against the escalating wave of dissent in the state, insisting that protest organisers must obtain a four-day notice from the police.

The capital city of Umuahia and Aba, the commercial hub of the state, have in recent times witnessed several protests by various groups with diverse grievances; a development the police said could threaten the existing peace in the state.

A splinter group of the state pensioners staged a protest in Umuahia yesterday morning at the state House of Assembly where they poured out their grievances to the Assembly Speaker, Hon Chinedum Orji.

 

Last week, in Aba, a group of women protested against the poor state of infrastructure in the city and other parts of the state while a pro-government protest was also held by another group of women to counter the anti-government one.

On September 30, 2019, the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) staged a protest in Aba during which the organised labour picketed the Abia State Polytechnic Aba over the sacking of 258 workers.

But the police, while reacting to the spate of protests in the state, said they were worried that the organisers were not following due process in carrying out what was supposed to be a constitutional right.

In a statement signed by the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Geoffrey Ogbonna, which was made available to journalists in Umuahia, the police conceded that citizens have right to protest so long it’s done within the ambits of the law.

According to him, "The police are not against any group or individual planning to embark on such (protest) as it is a constitutional right of the citizens in a democratic government, but it should be carried out in line with the extant provisions of the constitution."

The police spokesman further stated that any group or individual planning a protest "must notify the state Commissioner of Police in writing at least 48 hours to the time of protest, where the organiser would state the date, place of convergence, time of commencement, routes to follow and termination point."

He noted that the 48-hour notice was necessary to "enable the police provide adequate security to protect the protesters and prevent miscreants from hijacking the process to unleash mayhem on perceived oppositions or loot properties."

The PPRO vowed that the state Police Command "will not fold its arms and watch any person or group of persons truncate the existing peace in the state."