Oyo State Government on Thursday held a security meeting with relevant stakeholders, ahead of the Aug.1 nationwide protest being planned by some unknown groups.
The meeting, anchored by Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Mr Fatai Owoseni, was to warn the general public against allowing themselves to be used to perpetrate violence or destroy government and private property during the planned protest.
In their various submissions, the stakeholders, while acknowledging the inalienable right of Nigerians to express their grievances any time they felt that government was not doing the right thing, however, said that such protest should be peaceful.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Ayodele Sonubi, who was represented at the meeting by DCP Akin Adejobi, cautioned parents to prevail on their children not to be involved in any violent protest.
Sonubi, who spoke on behalf of other service commanders, said that security agencies would have no option than to deploy its operatives to restore peace, if the planned protest resulted in violence.
He said that security agencies would start patrolling major roads in the state from July 28, as part of measures to maintain peace across the state.
The commissioner stated that all the service commanders operating in the state had been meeting various groups and associations on ways to ensure that the planned protest was peaceful.
Speaking on behalf of his colleagues from all the 33 local government council in the state, Chairman of Egbeda Local Government Council, Mr Sikiru Sanda, promised that the security stakeholders’ meeting would be replicated in their respective council areas.
Sanda called for more synergy with security agencies in all the local government areas to enhance improvement in security of lives and property.
The Iyaloja-General of Ibadanland, Chief Iswiat Ameringun, urged all market men and women in the state to caution their children against engaging in violent protest.
Ameringun also called on traders to be extra-careful during the period of the protest to avoid looting of their goods by miscreants.
Stakeholders present at the meeting included: representatives of the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Security Service (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS).
Others were: representatives of Nigeria Immigration Service; Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC); Amotekun Corps; local government chairmen across the state, bankers’ forum, market leaders, transport unions and community leaders. (NAN).
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