Barely 24 hours after the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mbu, announced a ban on all rallies relating to the kidnapped Chibok girls, the Nigeria Police has reversed the order.
Mbu had at a press conference on Monday said “Protests on the Chibok girls are hereby banned with immediate effect,” but the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, faulted Mbu’s statement.
“The Police High Command wishes to inform the general public that the Force has not issued any order banning peaceful assemblies/protests anywhere in Nigeria,” Mba said.
Mbu had on Monday said the ban was placed to deter dangerous persons from infiltrating the peaceful BringBackOurGirls protest that has been going on daily in the Nigerian capital for about a month.
“Information reaching us is that too soon, dangerous elements will join groups under the guise of protest and detonate explosives aimed at embarrassing the government,” he had said, adding that “As the FCT police boss, I cannot fold my hands and watch this lawlessness.”
Mba, however, said what the police issued was only an advisory. “It (the police hierarchy) notes however that against the backdrop of current security challenges in the country, coupled with a recent intelligence report of a likely infiltration and hijack of otherwise innocuous and peaceful protests by some criminal elements having links with insurgents.
“The Police only issued advisory notice, enjoining citizens to apply caution in the said rallies, particularly in the Federal Capital Territory and its environs,” he said.
The #BringBackOurGirls protesters had earlier on Tuesday challenged Mbu’s directive in court.
A statement jointly signed by Oby Ezekwesili, former Education Minister and Hadiza Bala Usman, had noted that Mbu cannot take any action that violates our Constitutionally guaranteed rights as citizens, “particularly our rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, amongst others as enshrined in Chapter Four (Section 40) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended).
“We are puzzled about the inconsistencies in the communication emanating from the Nigerian Police. We recall that on 12th May, 2014, the Nigeria Police Force on its website published a news item with the title: “Police Not Against Peaceful Assemblies” in which the Inspector-General of Police, M.D. Abubakar restated the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to the protection and enforcement of the fundamental rights of citizens.
The group said that as members of the #BringBackOurGirls Abuja Family, it remained “resolute and will persist in using all lawful means to sustain our peaceful advocacy for the safe rescue of the Chibok Girls.
“We therefore encourage all those in Nigeria and other Nations that have similarly taken a stand for the cause of the girls to continue to do so with the clarion call: BRING BACK OUR GIRLS, NOW AND ALIVE!!!
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