From Femi Mustapha, Kaduna
The Kaduna Police Command has raised a red flag against hardship and bad governance protesters in the state, requiring them to obtain permits, otherwise they will be treated as miscreants and criminals.
According to the Police, parents and guardians henceforth should restrain their wards from involving themselves in violent acts in the guise of embarking on protests against hunger and bad governance.
The spokesman of the Police in Kaduna State, ASP Mansir Hassan said in a statement that security operatives would not fold their hands to watch criminals and miscreants engage in acts of looting and vandalism as witnessed during Thursday’s protest.
According to Hassan, “following the infamous sudden outbreak of violence that characterized the nationwide protest in Kaduna, the Police has arrested no fewer than twenty-five miscreants involved in violent conducts occasioned by mischief in the State.”
He said, “As earlier envisaged, the somewhat peaceful protest has been hijacked by hoodlums who took undue advantage of the so-called faceless sponsors and unleashed their planned mayhem on the State.”
“Consequently, the unruly miscreants attempted to gain access into the Kaduna State Government House before they were resisted by the security personnel at the said location, injured two policemen broke the glasses of a Police armored personnel carrier stationed at the entrance of the Government House.
“They subsequently, attacked the office and staff of the Kaduna State Traffic Law Enforcement Agency (KASTLEA) and torched the former along with adjoining other State Government offices.”
Said he: “Twenty-fibers of these hoodlums were arrested with exhibits indicating their violent tendencies. These exhibits included scissors, jacket knife even live 7.62 X 39mm ammunition recovered from one Hassan Ibrahim of Rigasa area Kaduna. Similarly, one suspect was arrested dressed in a Police camouflage uniform for deception.”
Hassan lamented that “despite the Inspector General of Police’s advice to groups intending to protest, to liaise with the Commissioner of Police of the State they so wished to protest, to fashion out modalities for a peaceful protest, no individual or group that has up till this very moment notified the Kaduna Police Command of its intention to protest in the State.”
“In the absence of such a notice, it will be presumed that there’s none, and any attempt to protest violently, those persons or groups will be termed miscreants and will be treated as such”, he added.
“The Commissioner of Police Kaduna State, CP A.D. Ali, is calling on all parents and guardians to restrain their wards from indulging in disturbance of the public peace. He further said the Command will not hesitate to treat such tendencies with the seriousness they deserve”, Hassan warned.
