Christopher Musa, chief of defence staff (CDS), says the military will intervene if the ongoing nationwide #EndbadGovernance protests persist violently.
Musa spoke in reaction to the vandalisation and looting of properties that characterised the protest in many parts of the country on Thursday.
In Kano, protesters looted the newly built Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) Industrial Park, setting parts of it ablaze. The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centre was scheduled for commissioning next week. Some youths were seen making away with desktop computers, chairs, keyboards, and other appliances from the centre.
The protest, which has also turned ugly in Yobe, Lagos, Borno, Gombe, and Abuja, has left at least 14 people reported d3ad. Organisers have labelled the nationwide demonstrations as ’10 Days of Rage’ and #EndBadGovernance.
In a press conference on Friday, Musa urged protesters to recognise that destruction is counterproductive and would only set the nation aback.
“We should realise that these destructions and monies have to be used—monies for development will have to be used to develop these things so we can move forward, and so instead of doing that, we should come together to make sure nothing is destroyed. The statement has already been passed to the local, state, and federal governments.”
Musa commended the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for its attempt to establish order but added that the military would be forced to step in if the violence persists.
“We want to warn those that are recalcitrant, those that don’t want to listen, that we will not fold our hands and see our country destroyed,” the CDS said.
“We will take action, and the action that we’ll take will be professional. Anyone who is caught will be taken to the courts to be dealt with. Let us avoid anything that will bring mayhem within our communities. We have seen the level of destruction that has been carried out just yesterday, and so you can imagine if this continues for so long. The armed forces and the entire military security agencies will not stand by and see that to continue.”
The military chief also asked the media to lessen coverage of the protests, saying some protesters are only looking for screen time.
“I noticed throughout yesterday all the stations were hooked up on the occasion. This is not election, don’t give them that coverage because some of them are just looking for moments of being on the screen,” he said.
Musa appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the government, saying policies have been enacted and actions have been taken to ensure there is relief from the economic hardship.
