Amid ongoing efforts to address the country’s economic, social, and political challenges, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) has called on the organizers of the proposed nationwide protests to engage in dialogue rather than resorting to disorder.
In a statement released by Paul Odenyi, the Deputy Director of Press, the NOA announced that its nationwide network has successfully identified the sponsors of the planned protest and potential hotspots.
The agency stated that the government is prepared to take measures to prevent any violent occurrences in these identified areas.
The Director General of the Agency, Mallam Lanre Issa Onilu, emphasized that communication channels with the government and its various arms remain open for dialogue.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to respecting citizens’ rights to protest and freely associate in accordance with democratic principles.
The Director General stated that the government has identified the masterminds behind the protest and their collaborators abroad, and is taking necessary actions to stop their subversive plans.
He added that the intentions of those behind the planned protest are not genuinely about governance or the state of the economy but are a ruse to destabilize the country.
Issa-Onilu said these elements aim to cause chaos, including arson, killings, and maiming of innocent citizens for narrow political reasons.
NOA is intensifying efforts in civil intelligence gathering and sensitizing community leaders, parents, and youths across the 774 local government areas about the need for vigilance and collective preventive actions.
The Director General also mentioned that another objective of the protest is to portray the country as unstable to the international community, as part of a grand design to intimidate the government and gain support from the bigger sponsors of the planned protest.
The Director General said: “That the identities of many of the brains behind the protest have been known, along with their collaborators who are safely residing abroad and the government is taking necessary actions to stop their subversive plans.
“That the intentions of the elements behind the planned protest are not about governance or state of the economy but a decoy to destabilize the country, cause mayhem and carry out arson, killings, maiming of innocent citizens for narrow political reasons.
“That NOA is intensifying efforts in civil intelligence gathering and sensitization of community leaders, parents and youths across the 774 local governments on the need for vigilance and collective preventive actions.
“That the other objective of the protest is to project to the international community, a picture of an unstable country as part of the grand design to intimidate the government and seek patronage of the bigger sponsors of the planned protest.”