The Defence headquarters has cautioned that the planned nationwide protest against economic hardship in the country is an open invitation to a state of anarchy in the country.
Addressing Defence Correspondents in Abuja on the ongoing military operations against insurgency activities in the various theaters of operations across the six geo-political zones of the country, Director Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, said, says the military with its constitutional role would not allow anarchy in the country.
“While the constitution allows citizens the rights to peaceful protest, it does not allow for violent protest, those behind the violent protest are doing so to be hijacked by hoodlums and throw the country into a state of anarchy and make the country ungovernable.”
“They want to replicate what is happening in Kenya in Nigeria, their targets are critical public infrastructures, worship places, marketplaces, our air and sea ports, and others, they want to create a state of war.
“As military, we have seen wars and their effects in the past where we have gone for peacekeeping and we will not allow it to happen in Nigeria It is not movies, they are real, ignite a fire during harmattan, you can never predict the end.
“Citizens can just go to any of the IDP camps around and see the effects of war situation, They should allow peace to reign and not be beating drums for a war in the country, they should allow the federal government to remedy the bad situation and put things in proper way so that the nation can flourish again and not the other way round.”
Meanwhile, the DDMO highlighted troops operations in the week under review.
According to the statement, Troops neutralised 106 and arrested 164 persons. 32 perpetrators of oil theft were also arrested and 103 kidnapped hostages rescued.
General Buba also said troops denied the oil theft of the estimated sum of Seven Hundred and Ninty
Three Million Five Hundred and Thirty Six Thousand Naira (N793,536,000.00)
only in the South south.
“Furthermore, troops recovered 125 assorted weapons and 1,522 assorted
ammunition including 41 AK47 rifles, one PKT gun, 24 locally fabricated gun, 28 dane guns, one pump action gun, 755 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 623 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 102 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm, 63 live cartridges,
247 empty cases of 7.62mm ammo, 22 AK47 magazines, one baofeng radio, 22 vehicles, motorcycles, 2 bicycles, 10 mobile phones and the sum of N2,956,000.00 only amongst other items.”
“Troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 20 dugout pits, 24 boats
and 34 storage tanks. Other items recovered include 56 cooking ovens, 2 speedboats, 14
pumping machines, 18 drums, 22 vehicles, 4 motorcycles and 36 illegal refining sites.
Troops recovered 802,200 litres of stolen crude oil, 121,900 litres of illegally refined AGO and 450 litres of DPK.”
