Ahead of Wednesday’s purported rally by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, in parts of Lagos, the State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday, warned anyone planning to hold a demonstration in the State under any umbrella to discontinue such an attempt to plunge the state into crisis, noting that the State will not take kindly to such a nefarious plan.
The APC in a statement by its Lagos State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, said considering the heightened security challenges the state is facing, it will be foolhardy for any group to hide under the guise of protest to compromise the security of the state and be allowed such privilege.
This came as IPOB in a statement yesterday, on its Facebook page disclosed that it will be embarking on a Lagos Mega Rally/Protest slated for Wednesday 16th and Thursday 17th December, 2015.
The statement read: “The Rally which will kick-off on the morning of Wednesday 16th Dec. 2015 will see us march from … axis of the city via Alaba Int’l market down to Mile 2 on the first day of the protest after making a stop over at Trade Fair Int’l market complex to intimate our people over there about the rally.
“The 2nd day of the rally will see us visiting several Embassies and High Commissions in Victoria Island and Ikoyi axis of city to deliver our protest letter as well as Amnesty Int’l and UN offices…”
“We shall be demanding for the unconditional release of director of Radio Biafra & TV, Nnamdi Kanu and all other Biafrans in the custody, as well as a right for self-determination during the March/Protest.”
However, the APC warned that it will not sit idly and allow politically sponsored hoodlums masquerading as Pro-Biafran protesters or any group whatsoever, to compromise security in which the state w has invested hugely in recent times.
It asked those behind the plot to arrest themselves as the security agencies, led by the State Commissioner of Police Fatai Owoseni have vowed to deal ruthlessly with anybody or group found to be involved in such protests, and expressed the hope the law enforcement agencies in Lagos will not be tested during this time.
“As a party that governs Lagos, it will be derelict of us to watch a group of politically-sponsored hoodlums tamper with the tight security system that has been effortlessly put in place by the state government to combat increasing crime rates in the state,” Lagos APC said.
“We cannot allow these hoodlums, sponsored by politicians that failed woefully in the last general election, to unleash mayhem on peace loving Lagosians so as to achieve dark political aims that run parallel to the interests of Lagosians.”
The Party criticized the sponsors of the planned protest as people who want to throw Lagos State into needless mayhem by their act but reiterated the state’s readiness to mete out to them the appropriate antidotes for such folly.
It said that knowing full well that whatever such sponsors purport to represent is alien to Lagos and Lagosians, it wondered what the evil masterminds want to achieve in Lagos but to plunge it into unmitigated disruption and crisis, a development Lagos will not allow.
“Knowing full well that hoodlums are meant to capitalize on any so-called protests to unleash mayhem on Lagosians and compromise its tight security, we have no doubt that the brains behind the protest have very sinister intents the state will not allow.
“Lagos APC wants to use this opportunity to warn market leaders that are involved in this plot or allow their markets to be used for such dangerous activities that the state will not hesitate to not only show such market leaders the exit from such markets but will take measures to ensure that such markets are not used as hatcheries for dangerous activities.
“We warn every market leader to desist from acts or plots meant to weaken or compromise the security of Lagos as the state will henceforth take measures to ensure that any market that allows itself to be used as grounds for acts that compromise the security of the state will be thoroughly scrutinized to ensure bad eggs are forced out of such markets.”
The party called on Lagosians to be law abiding and report the masterminds of such evil plots that endanger the security of lives and properties in Lagos to appropriate security agencies for prompt action, restating its support to the commitment of the present Lagos State government to guarantee the enviable security of Lagosians.
