The Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, CP. Joe Nwachukwu Enwonwu, has appealed to protesters to end protest to avoid needless deaths.
The CP stated this in a statement issued on Friday in Ibadan at the wake of mayhem and protests across the state.
He advised the youths to listen to repeated pleas and advice by traditional rulers, religious leaders, leaders of thought that miscreants/disgruntled elements would hijack the protests and capitalize on the situation to unleash mayhem on innocent citizens. It was clear that, all that were envisaged had actually come to pass. He stated further that, undue hardships, needless deaths were meted out to some Police officers/innocent citizens in Oyo State.
The statement below:
The Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, CP. Joe Nwachukwu Enwonwu psc, has been moved with deep concerns that despite repeated pleas and advice to the EndSARS protesters, traditional rulers, religious leaders, leaders of thought that miscreants/disgruntled elements would hijack the protests and capitalize on the situation to unleash mayhem on innocent citizens. It was clear that, all that were envisaged had actually come to pass. He stated further that, undue hardships, needless deaths were meted out to some Police officers/innocent citizens in Oyo State.
2. Consequent upon this, the CP wishes to further implore genuine protesters to yield to the plea of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Muhamadu Buhari, GCFR and the Oyo State Governor Engr. Seyi Makinde, Fnse to stop the protests forthwith to prevent needless deaths occasioned by the activities of miscreants who are using it as an opportunity to carry out co-ordinated attacks to loot people’ properties, but allow for a while for government attention to all their demands.
3. The CP wishes to inform the general public that, due to the incessant attacks on the Police Stations and Police personnel, some Police arms and ammunitions have been carted away by hardened criminals. This act is extremely dangerous and can be inimical to our general safety and co-operate existence, and in lieu of this, he wishes to plead with all and sundry within and outside Ibadan metropolis to be on the lookout for those enemy of progress to promptly report any group/individual who are not Police/military/other security agencies personnel in possession of such arms and ammunition and report to the nearest Police station or other sister security agencies immediately for recovery and necessary action.
4. In conclusion, the CP wishes to continue to advise parents/guardians and all stakeholders to warn their children/wards to desist from acts that can lead to breakdown of law and order and wanton destructions to lives and property. He equally assures the good people of Oyo State to go about their lawful businesses without any fear of threats or molestation from any quarters as the military and other sisters security agencies are complementing the efforts of the Police, while he strictly warns those criminal elements that hijacked Police arms during the protests to have a rethink and quietly return the prohibited firearms immediately before the full weight of the law catches up with them.
