Nigeria: Police Plan To Block Protest Organised by Music Star
Nigerian police forces have announced that they intend on blocking an anti-government protest planned for Monday, February 6th, in the city of Lagos.
The movement, that is being organised by Nigerian afro-pop artist, 2Face, is in protest of the country’s current economic crisis, and the way the government is handling the crisis.
According to 2Face, the government is not doing enough to help Nigerians, the majority of whom are ‘poor and desperate’.
“The need for urgent solutions to the challenges facing Nigerians has become very clear…Things are not getting better for the majority, we are still where we are, poor and desperate. I will no longer be quiet,” 2Face said in a video posted on his official Facebook page.
2Face’s followers seem to be backing the idea of a protest, as the video quickly spread through social media.
However, the police said that they will block the protest, as they believe certain people will try to turn the peaceful protest into a violent one.
“Information reaching us revealed that some hoodlums are planning to hijack the peaceful protest. As such, we won’t allow it to hold in Lagos [sic]…We know that 2Face does not have the capacity to contain such a crowd and we will not fold our hands and watch while things go out of hand [sic],” Fatai Owoseni, Lagos Police Commissioner told reporters.
Nigeria has been facing hard times recently, as the drop in the global oil price has sent the country’s economy into complete disarray. Rebel, militant attacks on oil factories in the country’s Delta region have also contributed to the incline of the recession.
