Abuja Protests: Be Calm, We’re in Control -Police Assures Residents

…vows to prosecute those burning tyres on roads

By: Wisdom Acka

FCT Police Command has assured residents of the Federal Capital Territory that the Command was in control of things and has since restored normalcy to the Abuja Airport Expressway following protest that earlier rocked that part of the city.

This was contained in statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Josephine Adeh, issued to the media organizations and made available to Abuja Digest.

According to the statement, reports of civil unrest broke out around the Airport Expressway, at about 11:30 Am on Monday, but men of the Command swiftly responded and calmed the situation down.

The Command, however, warned residents to desist from burning tyres on roads in the Territory; saying it amounted to destruction of public property and defaulters would be dealt with according to the law.

Extract of the statement is hereby reproduced: “The incident which soon attracted many false narratives was merely an uncultured display of dissatisfaction by commercial Motorcycle riders popularly called Okada who took to the streets burning tires and other substances following the activities of the Task Force who had earlier confiscated some motorcycles for certain violations.

Upon receipt of the information, Police Operatives from Iddo Divisional Police Headquarters were swiftly drafted to the scene where necessary measures were taken to restore peace and normalcy to the situation.

Consequent upon the above, members of the public are urged to eschew the generation and promulgation of fake news or contrary narratives and to go about the discharge of their lawful businesses without the fear of harassment or molestation of any kind or from any quarters.

Meanwhile, Monitoring and surveillance continue on the scene while an effort is ongoing to arrest miscreants responsible for the disturbance of public peace.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Babaji Sunday psc, while reassuring the residents of the Command’s unflinching commitment to bringing crime and criminality to the barest minimum, noted that burning of combustible materials on tarred road amounts to vandalization of Government properties and the full wrath of the law will be meted out on perpetrators.

Meanwhile, residents are enjoined to continue to partner the Police by giving us prompt and accurate information through the following emergency lines: 08032003913, 08061581938, 07057337653 and 08028940883, while the Public Complaint Bureau (PCB) desk, could be reached on: 0902 222 2352.”