Chief of Defense Staff Threatens Military Intervention if Protests Escalate, Urges Media to Limit Coverage
Nigeria’s Chief of Defense Staff, Christopher Musa, has vowed that the military will be forced to take action to quell the #EndBadGovernance protests if violence persists.
Musa disclosed the intention to involve the military during a press conference.
“We want to warn those who are recalcitrant, those who don’t want to listen, that we will not fold our hands and watch our country be destroyed,” Musa said.
“We will take action, and the action that we’ll take will be professional. Anyone who is caught will be taken to court to be dealt with,” he added.
Thousands of Nigerians took to the streets yesterday, August 1, 2024, in a protest aimed at ending what the organizers have described as bad governance in Nigeria.
Protests Turns Violent In Some Areas
While the protest has largely been described as peaceful, violence was recorded in some areas of the country. Since yesterday, around 17 people have been reported dead. In Kano, protesters invaded a popular Rufaidah Yoghurt store on Hadejia Road and looted the premises, making off with valuable items such as food products, electronics, and furniture.
“We should realize that these destructions and funds have to be used—funds for development will have to be used to rebuild these things so we can move forward. Instead of doing that, we should come together to ensure nothing is destroyed,” the CDS said.
In Yobe State, the office of the Nigerian Red Cross Society in Potiskum was attacked by unidentified individuals who set some of the properties on fire, according to an insider source, on Thursday.
“Honestly, we do not know. They simply attacked,” a source told Neusroom when asked who the attackers were.
Chief of Defense Staff Asks Media Houses To Lessen Coverage of the Protests
“We have seen the level of destruction carried out just yesterday, and so you can imagine if this continues for so long. The armed forces and the entire military security agencies will not stand by and watch this continue,” Musa warned.
The Chief of Defense Staff asked media houses to reduce their coverage of the demonstrations, adding that some protesters are seeking media attention.
“I noticed that throughout yesterday all the stations were focused on the occasion. This is not an election; don’t give them that coverage because some of them are just looking for moments on the screen,” he said.
