The effort of security agents to dissuade sponsors of the proposed nationwide protest may have entered another gear.
This is because the police is now requesting them to beforehand, submit personal vital information before the commencement.
This has been made known to the protest organisers by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
He said the concerned groups should submit their details to the Commissioners of Police in their respective states.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, he said: “We acknowledge the constitutional right of Nigerian citizens to peaceful assembly and protest.
“However, in the interest of public safety and order, we urge all groups planning to protest to provide necessary details to the Commissioner of Police in the state where the protest is intended to take place.
“To facilitate a successful and incident-free protest, they should please provide the following information: state the proposed protest routes and assembly points; expected duration of the protest; and names and contact details of protest leaders and organisers.”
Such protest organisers, he added, should also include measures they had or would take to ensure the exercise is not hijacked by criminals.
“We encourage all protesters to cooperate with the police, obey the law, and adhere to global best practices for peaceful assembly to guarantee a safe and successful exercise of their rights.”
Recall our earlier story that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) command of the Nigeria Police appealed to FCT residents not to join the protest organisers.
FCT Commissioner of Police, Bennett Igweh, while appealing to the FCT residents said doing so could jeorpadise security efforts of the FCT police command.
“I want to appeal specifically to the residents and indigenes and everybody in the FCT. Please, lions do not destroy their dens. You cannot see a lion who destroys its den. No, I would not like you to join this protest”, he had appealed..