We won’t allow anyone to destroy lives, property in Abuja – Wike

By Stanley Onyekwere

As the hardship protests entered its second day, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Ezenwo Nyesom Wike has warned that security agencies will not allow destruction of lives and property take place in Abuja, the nation’s capital city.
Wike had claimed that security intelligence uncovered that miscreants are planning to destroy property that will lead to loss of lives on Friday, in Abuja.
Making this disclosure shortly after an emergency FCT Security Council meeting held Thursday in Abuja, decried a situation where some people tried to move into the Eagle Square, on the first day of the planned ten-day long protests.
He noted that the FCT Administration had said before that it will continue to brief the press as it monitors the protest of people who say they are protesting against bad governance and hunger in the country.
He also revealed that the government have intelligence that a senator had to invite some security agencies to lead some of them to go and provide food for the protesters.
He added that a senator providing food for protesters is sponsorship of the ant-government protest.
“At the appropriate time security agencies will invite the senator and find out how you will be sponsoring this kind of thing against the government of the day.
“We had come out to say clearly that one of the reasons we appealed against the protest was that we believe some miscreants will hijack the process and cause destruction of property within the FCT.
“See what happened in some of the states. Now, look at the loss of lives. If such a thing happens in the FCT, what do you think people would say? Here, we have the international community carrying out their businesses.
“You saw what happened today (thursday). Miscreants may not have succeeded in what they wanted to do but we have intelligence that they are coming out tomorrow to destroy property that will lead to loss of lives. The security agencies will not allow that.
“Every protester, please, go to the MKO Abiola stadium and do your protest. That is what the court said.
We believe that this is a democratic government and so we must act according to the rule of law.
“We also believe that this protesting it is their entitlement so that government can address the issues raised.
“The court did not stop protests, it only restricted them to the National Stadium.Obeying the rule of law is obeying court orders.”