10th August, 2024
By Okafor Ofiebor/Rivers
The Rivers Police Command has said it will not allow protesters to go outside the approved Pleasure Park along Port Harcourt-Aba Expressway and Abali Park in Diobu, Port Harcourt during the ‘One Million Man protest’ organised to end the 10- day #EndBadGovernance protest in the state on Saturday August 10.
The Command said this was because it has uncovered plans by miscreants, who were previously prevented from engaging in looting and other criminal activities during the earlier days of the protest mayhem to use “One Million Man Protest” to unleash mayhem, loot, and extort unsuspecting residents of the state. This was contained in a press statement issued by SP Grace Iringe-Koko, Spokesperson for the Rivers Police Command.
“The Command has been informed about the planned ‘One Million Man Protest’ scheduled to take place across the 36 states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory on Saturday, August 10, 2024, miscreants resolved to use this final day to harass innocent citizens, unleash mayhem, loot, and extort unsuspecting residents of the state”.
“In light of this, the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, CP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has directed all would-be protesters to converge at the designated areas of Abali Park and Pleasure Park to carry out the exercise. This will enable the Police to effectively protect the protesters and curtail any breakdown of law and order in the state. The Command will not condone any protest or procession outside of these two designated areas. According to SP Iringe-Koko, the Commissioner of Police has further instructed all Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers (DPOs), and Tactical Team Commanders to implement robust patrol strategies and maintain close monitoring across their respective Areas of Responsibility (AORs). She said that their mandate is to apprehend and prosecute any individuals or groups found to be engaging in unlawful activities or causing disturbances.
The Command said that it has demonstrated the highest level of professionalism in managing the protests over the past 9 days, which has resulted in the state not recording any casualties.
“The Command is committed to maintaining this record and will respond swiftly to any breach of law and order, without hesitation. “The public is advised to refrain from any actions that may compromise the peace and security of the state. The Command is dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of all residents and will not tolerate any attempt to disrupt the public order, ” the Police Command said.
