The Department of State Services (DSS) says it has uncovered the motives of the planned national protest, claiming that the long-term objective is to change the government at the centre.
The secret police also said it knew those behind the protest, but refused to reveal their identities. It, however, said it had engaged the planners of the protest first by employing non-kinetic and conflict resolution strategies.
The spokesman for the DSS, Peter Afunanya, told journalists in Abuja on Thursday, that the security outfit also used moral suasion and stakeholder engagement to dissuade the planners.
Daily Trust reports that hundreds of Nigerians are currently mobilising online and offline for a nationwide protest dubbed #EndBadGovernance# over widespread hunger and inflation in the land.
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He said: “While peaceful protest is a democratic right of citizens, the service has confirmed a sinister plan by some elements to infiltrate the protest and use it to cause chaos and extreme violence in the land.
“It has also identified the reason behind the protest to be political. The plotters desire to use the intended violent outcome to smear the federal and sub-national governments; make them unpopular and pit them against the masses.
“The long term objective is to achieve a regime change especially at the Centre. The Service has also identified, among others, the funding lines, sponsors and collaborators of the plot.
“However, it does not think that aggression should be the first line action in the instance, in handling the emerging scenario.
“It has instead, variously applied non kinetic and conflict resolution strategies, including moral suasion, stakeholder engagement and other multi-track diplomatic shuttles, to dissuade the planners from actualising their undesirable objective.”
The DSS spokesman, therefore, warned those planning the protest to listen to voice of reasoning and shelve their plans on the protest, insisting that those actions were deliberately designed to cause disaffection in the country.
He said, “Based on the foregoing, the service wishes to warn all the protest groups to eschew any form of proposed rage, anarchy and spoliation.
“While the different levels of Government have routinely explained their agenda to ameliorate alleged harsh economic conditions, the Service urges the prospective protesters to listen to the voice of reason, good conscience and patiently engage with the authorities, in the interest of peace.”
Afunanya also urged captains of industry, labour unions, student associations, youth leaders, the civil society organisations, clergymen, NGOs, women groups, civil servants and politicians to shun what he described as “any invitation to participate in any orchestrated violence”.
He added, “Similarly, parents, guardians, heads of traditional and academic institutions are respectively urged to advise their children, wards, subjects and students not to take part in the planned protest.
“Let us all join hands to build a Nation without rancour, bitterness or stained banner. The Service will work with other sister security and law enforcement agencies to maintain peace. It will, where necessary, apply all legitimate methods to achieve this.”
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