Abuja, Nigeria — Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, has revealed that security agencies have identified a senator as a sponsor of the ongoing anti-government protest. The disclosure came shortly after an emergency FCT Security Council meeting held on Thursday night.
Minister Wike stated that the senator was found to have contacted security operatives to escort a truckload of food for the protesters. He assured that relevant agencies would invite the senator for questioning in due course.
While acknowledging the right to protest in a democratic society, Wike emphasized the protesters’ duty to respect a court order that restricts their activities to the MKO Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.
“We had said before now that we will continue to brief the press as we monitor the protest of people who say they are protesting against bad governance and hunger in the country,” Wike stated. “We believe that this is a democratic government and so we must act according to the rule of law. We also believe that this protesting is their entitlement so that government can address the issues raised. Obeying the rule of law is obeying court orders.”
The minister highlighted the government’s efforts to improve citizens’ lives and reiterated the importance of the court order, which does not ban protests but restricts them to a specific location for safety reasons.
“We had come out to say clearly that one of the reasons we appealed against the protest was that we believe some miscreants will hijack the process and cause destruction of property within the FCT,” Wike explained. “See what happened in some of the states today. Now, look at the loss of lives. If such a thing happens in the FCT, what do you think people would say? Here we have the international community carrying out their businesses.”
Wike mentioned a recent incident where some individuals attempted to move into Eagle Square, warning that miscreants are planning to cause further disruptions. He urged all protesters to adhere to the court’s directive and conduct their demonstrations at the designated stadium.
“We also have intelligence that a senator had to invite some security agencies to lead some of them to go and provide food for the protesters. That is sponsorship. A senator providing food for protesters. At the appropriate time, security agencies will invite the senator and find out how you will be sponsoring this kind of thing against the government of the day,” Wike added.
The minister’s statement underscores the government’s commitment to maintaining order and ensuring that protests remain peaceful and lawful.
