Group distances self from plans to protest against service chiefs

A group known as the Patriotic Students and Stakeholders Forum (PSSF) has distanced itself from a proposed protest against the nation’s service chiefs, describing it as an agenda of “disgruntled politicians”.

PSSF made the disclosure at a press conference on Wednesday. It alleged that plans were already on ground to storm the streets of the federal capital territory and Lagos on Thursday.

In a statement signed by Tunde Badmus, its convener, PSSF said some persons benefiting from the Boko Haram crisis before the advent of the present administration want to ensure that the gains made so far are reversed.

These students, according to PSSF, have been mandated to use hardened criminals, cultists, and ex-convicts to ensure that the police will not be able to stop their planned rally.

The Patriotic Students and Stakeholders Forum, therefore, denounced these students, warning that should there be loss of lives and destruction of properties in the coming days, the public should hold the PDP responsible.

The group, consequently, called on the police to ensure that it reinforces its officers and men in this regard.

Read full statement below:

We welcome you all to this important press conference put together by the Patriotic Students and Stakeholders Forum in light of the revelations of a planned sponsored protest scheduled to hold simultaneously in Lagos and Abuja on Thursday, 27th February 2020.

The Patriotic Students and Stakeholders Forum is alarmed that those despicable elements that have been benefiting from the Boko Haram crisis in North-East Nigeria before the advent of the present administration would spare no cost and chance in ensuring that the gains made so far in the war against terrorism in Nigeria are reversed.

These groups of individuals have elected to carry out acts against the interest of Nigeria by the aggressive and continuous push for the sack of Service Chiefs that have been outstanding in the discharge of their duties that has led to the recording of multiple gains in the fight against terrorism.

The Patriotic Students and Stakeholders Forum is aware that those behind the planned sponsored protests are disgruntled members of the opposition and some members of the National Assembly from, Borno State and other states in North East Nigeria.

They have vowed to cause a distraction by calling for the sack of Service Chiefs to please some of their members in the National Assembly that have benefited from the rot in the system from time immemorial.

The general public must do well to be informed that they have budgeted a whopping N200 million for the execution of the project tagged “Operation Bring Down Nigeria” that would see to the mass mobilization of students of tertiary institutions who have been advised to come out in their numbers to ensure that they cause commotion and unrest of unimaginable proportion in the two cities.

We also have it in good authority that the students have been mandated by their sponsors to use hardened criminals, cultists, and ex-convicts to ensure that the police will not be able to stop their planned rally.

The Patriotic Students and Stakeholders Forum condemns this unpatriotic act and wishes to inform members of the general public of this grand design to cause societal disorder in Lagos and Abuja. The general public must consequently be aware that should there be loss of lives and destruction of properties in the coming days.

We are consequently calling on the Nigerian Police Force to ensure that it reinforces its officers and men in this regard to prevent the breakdown of law and order in Lagos and Abuja and other neighboring states.

We also call on the security agencies ensure that its arrests any paid activists that comes out under whatever guise to protest in Lagos and Abuja against the Service Chiefs and it is a known fact that these individuals are on the payroll of some members of the National Assembly.

The Patriotic Students and Stakeholders Forum wishes to use this medium to call on parents, CSOs, and other well-meaning Nigerians to discourage their children and members from involving themselves with these elements that have been heavily compromised to destabilize Nigeria.

The Patriotic Students and Stakeholders Forum is aware that dangerous weapons have also been procured by the sponsors of the protest and distributed to a section of the thugs mobilized to give back up to the students that have been assembled for the planned protest.

We also wish to inform all other concerned stakeholders in Nigeria that there is also a grand plot to target critical infrastructures such as power stations, GSM mast, and other public utilities in Lagos and Abuja.

The Patriotic Students and Stakeholders Forum wishes to advise those that have sworn to make Nigeria ungovernable to look elsewhere as the unity of Nigeria is sacrosanct and the gains made so far in the fight against terrorism would be sustained through the commitment of the Service Chiefs in Nigeria that have made great sacrifices in preserving the territorial integrity of Nigeria as well as its sovereignty.

Thank you all for attending this event and we wish to state that with your continued support, Nigeria shall be great again.

Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.