Security agencies in Oyo State have begun a show of force ahead of the proposed August 1 nationwide protest as part of measures to maintain law and order across the state.
The operation involved deployment of personnel from the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Immigration Service, and other security agencies to strategic locations across the state.
Addressing the security personnel, the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Ayodele Sonubi said the security operatives would be patrolling major roads and flashpoints in Ibadan, the state capital, and other parts of the state to deter potential violence or disruption of public peace.
According to the CP, the show of force was aimed at reassuring residents and commuters of their safety and security, and to warn potential troublemakers to stay off the streets.
CP Sonubi said the operation was a proactive measure to prevent any breakdown of law and order during the planned protest.
“This show of force is meant to show our readiness, keep peace, and provide security for the people in the state, to make Nigeria and Ibadan as peaceful as they used to be.
“We are ready to protect reasonable and law-abiding citizens, we are not against the protest which is a right of all citizenry, but we shall not condole any act of violence, brigandage, or criminality,” he added.
He, however, warned that the police and other security agencies would not hesitate to deal decisively with anyone who attempts to disrupt public peace or engage in any form of violence.