T he Nigerian military has announced its preparedness to intervene in the ongoing nationwide hunger protests, tagged #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria, if the situation escalates beyond the control of the police. This statement was made by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, during a press conference in Abuja on Friday.
General Musa emphasized the military's support for the police, stating, "We are supporting the police all through. We are just on standby. The police are doing a good job; they are handling the situation for now. Unless it breaches beyond what they can handle, then the military will step in. The military is on standby, and we are watching day and night."
The Chief of Defence Staff acknowledged the grievances of the protesters regarding the challenging economic conditions in Nigeria and appealed for understanding from the public. He called for unity and urged citizens to avoid vandalism and looting, stressing that such actions would only lead to further financial strain on the country.
"So, we want to call on all Nigerians to understand the government. If you have grievances, which I know people have, a lot of challenges here and there, and it is not only in Nigeria alone; everywhere in the world is facing one economic or security crisis or the other. And so, it is important to understand that we are not alone," General Musa said.
He further stated, "But what we can do is not allow criminals and individuals that have lost out to take advantage of this to destroy our country. We should realise that these destructions, monies have to be used to replace them so that we can move forward. We know we are challenged as a nation, but we know we will overcome working together as Nigerians… Let us avoid anything that will bring mayhem to our country."
General Musa described the destruction witnessed on Thursday, August 1, 2024, the first day of the 10-day-long hunger protest, as "crazy." He lamented the high rate of destruction, including incidents of people breaking into houses and stealing windows and doors. He stressed that the military and other security agencies "will not fold their arms and allow this country to be destroyed."
"Yesterday, we saw the level of destruction that has been carried out. Just yesterday. So you can imagine if this continues for so long. Yesterday, we saw some people breaking down houses, stealing windows and doors. It was just crazy yesterday and we don’t want that to happen again. The Armed Forces and the entire security agencies will not stand by and see that to continue. We want to warn those that are recalcitrant; those that don’t want to listen that we will not fold our arms and allow this country to be destroyed," Musa declared.
He warned that the military would act professionally in its conduct and ensure the prosecution of anyone caught looting or stealing. "We will take action, and the action we will take, we will take it professionally. Anyone that is caught will be taken to court and will be dealt with. There are a bunch of people who believe that it is only through this medium that they will be able to loot, steal, and destroy. And that is what they tried to do yesterday but we have arrested most of them that broke into places to steal and they will be prosecuted accordingly," Musa stated.
In addition, the Chief of Defence Staff indicated that the military is working to identify and apprehend the sponsors behind the protests. "We are also going behind to ensure that we also identify those that are involved; there are individuals who are sponsoring them, pushing them to do this, we are going after them," he said.
As the hunger protests continue, the Nigerian military's readiness to step in highlights the seriousness of the situation and the government's commitment to maintaining order and addressing the root causes of the public's grievances.
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