Commissioner of Police in the Federal Capital Territory, Joseph Mbu, has banned protests in Abuja.
The ban is specifically for protests demanding the release of the Chibok girls.
While announcing this development at a press conference in Abuja, Mbu described the protests as posing a serious security threat.
“Accordingly, protests on the Chibok girls are hereby banned with immediate effect. As the FCT police boss, I cannot fold my hands and watch this lawlessness (protests). Information reaching us is that very soon, dangerous elements will join groups under the guise of protest and detonate explosives aimed at embarrassing the government,’’ he said.
He said that after a group under the aegis of “Bring Back Our Girls’’ protested on April 28, another group “Release Our Girls’’ emerged.
Mbu, a former Rivers State Police Commissioner, said that information at the disposal of the command indicated that “dangerous elements” were about to hijack the protest hence the ban.
Mbu said that a situation where the ‘Fountain of Unity’, venue of gathering for the protest was being turned into a place for “cooking and selling’’ was embarrassing.
Reacting to the development, the #BringBackOurGirls group said it will continue with its daily protests, stating that the Commissioner had no legal right to stop protests.