OYO POLICE WARN YOUNG PROTESTERS AGAINST USING VIOLENCE

The state police command has urged young people to stay away from being used by violent instigators following the protest on Friday against the lack of petrol and new naira notes in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State.

The state’s police public relations officer, Adewale Osifeso, said in a statement that the command was fully ready to mobilize to stop the criminal elements from using the state as a playground.

He claimed that the evidence at hand demonstrated that some dishonest characters had established strategies to exploit the current scenario by hitting tourist hotspots.

As we move closer to the general elections in 2023, Osifeso said, “Members of the public are hereby advised, with particular reference to the youth segment, to avoid being used by agents of violence who want to take advantage of the situation to criminally enrich themselves. The command is fully prepared to mobilize fully to prevent these criminal elements from turning the state into their playground.

“The state police command wishes to advise members of the public to maintain calm and keep the peace even in the midst of pockets of protest that have emerged at various locations throughout the city due to the increase in the price of gasoline and the lack of cash available for dispensing at ATM machines and Point of Sales Terminals, particularly in the capital.

Worthy of note is that the intelligence that is currently available indicates that some dishonest elements have perfected plans to thwart the process, escalating the situation into full-scale chaos by attacking and shutting down places of interest, including but not limited to INEC facilities, banks, media outlets, schools, correctional facilities, and other critical infrastructures, as well as looting major malls and business centers within the state.

“In light of the foregoing, residents will observe high-octane patrols in coordination with the pertinent sister security agency, all in an effort to increase resident confidence and reassure them of the state police command’s commitments to providing comprehensive security for all residents in the state,” the statement reads.

The relative peace within cannot be bargained with by dishonest and criminal elements, thus the command recommended the people to go about their work without fear of harassment or molestation.