The Nigerian military announced on Friday that it might step in to address the looting crisis and identify its sponsors amid the ongoing nationwide hunger protest.
Eko Hot Blog reports that this statement was made by Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, during a press conference in Abuja.
“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,” Musa said. “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.”
Gen. Musa acknowledged the economic difficulties fueling the protests and urged demonstrators to show understanding towards the Federal Government.
He called for national unity and warned against property vandalism and looting.
“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,” he stated.
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He further emphasized the importance of preventing criminals from exploiting the protests to cause further damage. “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,” he added.
Reflecting on the first day of the protest, which occurred on Thursday, August 1, 2024, Gen. Musa described the level of destruction as “crazy” and assured that the military and security agencies would not allow such incidents to continue.
“Yesterday (Thursday), we saw the level of destruction that has been carried out. Just yesterday. So you can imagine if this continues for so long,” he remarked. “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.”
He warned that the military would act professionally and ensure the prosecution of those involved in looting and theft. “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,” he said.
Gen. Musa also revealed efforts to identify those sponsoring the unrest. “There are individuals who are sponsoring them, pushing them to do this, we are going after them,” he concluded.
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