Major General Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, warned at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday that the military will not permit anarchy to erupt in Nigeria.
He suggested that the organisers of the planned protest aim to emulate the recent violent demonstrations in Kenya, which began as peaceful protests but descended into chaos.
General Buba emphasised that while citizens have the right to express their grievances, the military will not tolerate any form of violent assembly or protest, and will take necessary measures to maintain law and order.
Furthermore, General Buba revealed that the military has discovered plans by malicious individuals to infiltrate and sabotage the protest, with the intention of turning it violent by targeting unsuspecting citizens and their properties.
According to him, these elements aim to exploit the demonstration for their own destructive purposes, posing a significant threat to public safety and security.
He said though citizens have the right to peaceful protest, “they do not have the right to mobilise for anarchy and unleash terror”.
“It is easy to see that the contemporary context of the planned protest is to shadow the outrage in Kenya which I must say is violent and remains unresolved,” he said.
According to him, the level of violence envisaged can be likened to “anarchy”.
General Buba emphasised that the Armed Forces are committed to maintaining order and stability, and will not permit chaos and anarchy to take hold in Nigeria.