The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has urged organizers of the proposed nationwide protests to engage in dialogue rather than resorting to disorder, as part of ongoing efforts to address Nigeria’s economic, social, and political challenges.
In a statement released by Deputy Director of Press Paul Odenyi, the NOA revealed that its nationwide network has successfully identified the sponsors of the planned protests and potential hotspots. The government is prepared to take measures to prevent any violent occurrences in these identified areas.
Mallam Lanre Issa Onilu, the Director General of NOA, emphasized that communication channels with the government and its various arms remain open for dialogue. He reiterated the government’s commitment to respecting citizens’ rights to protest and freely associate, in line with democratic principles.
Issa Onilu stated that the government has identified the masterminds behind the protest and their collaborators abroad, and is taking necessary actions to stop their subversive plans. He asserted that the intentions of those behind the planned protest are not genuinely about governance or the state of the economy but are a ruse to destabilize the country.
“These elements aim to cause chaos, including arson, killings, and maiming of innocent citizens for narrow political reasons,” Issa Onilu said.
The NOA is intensifying efforts in civil intelligence gathering and sensitizing community leaders, parents, and youths across the 774 local government areas about the need for vigilance and collective preventive actions.
Issa Onilu also mentioned that another objective of the protest is to portray the country as unstable to the international community, as part of a grand design to intimidate the government and gain support from the bigger sponsors of the planned protest.
“The identities of many of the brains behind the protest are known, along with their collaborators who are safely residing abroad,” Issa Onilu stated.
“The government is taking necessary actions to stop their subversive plans.”
He reiterated that the protest’s objectives are not about governance or the state of the economy but are a decoy to destabilize the country and cause mayhem for narrow political reasons. NOA’s efforts in civil intelligence gathering and community sensitization aim to foster vigilance and collective preventive actions across the nation.
