The Special Adviser on Security and Homeland and Safety to the Plateau State Governor, Barrister Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, has said the curfew imposed last Sunday as a result of hoodlums who hijacked the peaceful #EndBadGovernance protest in the State, will soon be over.
The Security Aide, Brigadier-General Gakji Shipi (rtd), says the Governor does not intend to impose the curfew in the first instance because citizens have the right to protest as enshrined in the country’s constitution.
He said the step was taken only to protect lives and properties which is the responsibility of government.
Shipi, who also doubles as the Coordinator, Operation Rainbow, a State owned security outfit, added that to ensure that the curfew does not have adverse effects on the businesses of peaceful citizens and economic growth of the State, the Governor has on daily basis reviewed the curfew adding some more hours for free movement.
According to him, “When the national protest began, we had three to four- day peaceful section in the State, to an extent that Plateau was used as a reference point to other States. But unfortunately, the protest was infiltrated by miscreants who had other plans.
“As a responsible government that took oath to protect the lives of its people, we stepped in to protect the situation from escalating, by imposing the curfew because it is better to be proactive than to wait for something to happen.
“The Governor does not intend that the curfew will be prolonged or be permanent because we can all see, there is no day that passes that the government does not add some hours of freedom to citizens so they can engage in their legitimate business.
“The main interest of the Governor is for life to remain normal. His target is to relax the curfew permanently”, Shipi said.
Recall that the protest which turned deadly turned deadly in Plateau State last Sunday, began on August 1, calling an end to bad governance and hunger, took different dimension when thousands of youths and children took to the streets, with some attacking businesses and markets.
-9News Nigeria.
