The Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa Onilu, has revealed that the agency’s nationwide structure had successfully identified the sponsors of the proposed protests and likely flashpoints.
He emphasised that the identities of many of the brains behind the protest are known, along with their collaborators who are safely residing abroad, and the government is taking necessary actions to stop their subversive plans.
He stated that the intentions of those behind the planned protest were not about governance or the state of the economy but a decoy to destabilise the country, cause mayhem, and carry out arson, killings, and maiming of innocent citizens for narrow political reasons.
He added that another objective of the protest is to project a picture of an unstable country to the international community as part of a grand design to intimidate the government and seek patronage from the bigger sponsors of the planned protest.
He noted that the government will take measures to forestall any violent occurrences in the identified locations.
He urged the promoters of the protests to pursue dialogue instead of resorting to disorder, adding that the government will continue to engage with stakeholders on the country’s economic, social, and political challenges.
“The channels of communication with the government and its various arms remain open for dialogue.
“The government will continue to respect citizens’ rights to protest and associate freely in line with democratic principles.
