Kogi: Police cautions members of Take It Back Movement against Oct. 1 protest
Onuoha Bethrand, Kogi Police Commissioner
Published By: Ayorinde Oluokun
By Richard Elesho/Kogi
The Commissioner of Police in Kogi, CP Bethrand Onuoha, has called on leaders of ‘Take It Back Movement’ in the state to reconsider their bid to participate in the nationwide protest scheduled for Independence Day, October 1.
Onuoha made the call during an engagement with the executive of ‘Take It Back Movement’ at the command headquarters in Lokoja weekend.
He advised the group to give the government more time to fix the nation’s economy.
The Police Commissioner acknowledged receipt of a letter from the group to embark on protest in the state on October 1.
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However, Onuoha said while the group has the right to embark on peaceful protest in accordance with extant laws, to avoid playing into the hands of disgruntled elements and or hoodlums and to avoid or prevent them from hijacking the process and unleashing mayhem on innocent citizens, destruction of their properties as well as damage of critical infrastructure, it was better not to take the risk.
Leader of the group, Moses Opeyemi, assured the Kogi Police Commissioner that as enlightened and law-abiding youths in Kogi State, they accepted his advise as a father and promised to remain committed to the peace, progress and development of the state.
He further stated that the executive and members of the group will meet to deliberate on all the issues raised by the CP and come up with a reasonable resolution regarding their participation in the planned protest.
He, on behalf of the group, commended the Kogi CP for the constructive engagement, which, he claimed, has gone a long way to enlighten them on their responsibilities as youths.
Present at the meeting include DCP Chike Louis Nwabuwa, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Department of Operations and his Assistant, ACP Aigbe Aghahowa, SP William Ovye Aya, PPRO, SP Emmanuel Abogonye, 2ic SID/OC Monitoring Unit, DSP Christopher Okoebor, PA to CP, while members of the group included Moses Opeyemi, Coordinator, Oloruntoba Segun, Muhammed Abdul, Ande Joel, Michael John, Musa Matthew, Usman Alfa, Mohammed Usman Ahmed, Ibrahim Shaibu, and Adama Shaibu.