#BBOG Protests are becoming a threat to public peace and order

Ibrahim Idris - IGP

 The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has said that the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) Advocacy Group’s protests constitute a security threat to public peace and order, PUNCH reports.

He made this known on Wednesday during a courtesy visit by the executives of the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

He said that the #BringBackOurGirls protesters, in exercise of their rights, must not trample on other peoples’ rights through ‘over-dramatisation of emotions, self-serving propaganda and disrespect of public (office) holders.’

The IG sympathised with the parents of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls, noting that the government had invested huge resources to ensure that they were rescued and re-united with their families.

Idris, who sympathised with the parents and families of the abducted school girls, assured that the government is working to secure the release of the girls.

“However, the activities of the Bring Back Our Girls Group in Abuja, the nation’s capital recently, is becoming worrisome and a threat to public peace and order.

The Bring Back Our Girls protagonists must understand that in the exercise of their rights, they must not trample on other peoples’ rights through over-dramatisation of emotions, self-serving propaganda and disrespect of public (office) holders.

The police will not sit on the fence and watch such a scenario unfold. The rights of law-abiding citizens must be protected within the context of the law. Enough is enough. We however ask that they tread with caution and that their grievances be channeled within the ambit of the law.

I watched them on Television saying they were enforcing their rights. Every citizen of this country has rights and we believe that where your right ends, the rights of others begin and we should try to conduct ourselves in such a way that everybody in the process of enforcing right, do not encroach on the rights of others.
I believe that blocking the highway or stopping traffic and over dramatization of emotion, trying to confront and provoke policemen, I don’t think that is part of enforcement of rights because even the policemen have rights and they are doing it lawfully.
The essence of procession is to bring the attention of the society or the government to your plight and I think the demonstration has been going on for too long. We believe and advice that it is time for them to maintain some level of control so that people of Abuja can live in peace and tranquility.
We however ask that they tread with caution and that their grievances be channeled within the ambit of the law,” he said.

Responding, the BBOG said that it has never constituted public nuisance during its protests.

“It isn’t true that we block traffic. We stop where (the Police) shows us and our movement NEVER insults,” the group stated in a tweet.