Nigerian govt threatens persons seeking to destabilise country

The Federal Government has issued a warning to anyone habouring thoughts of destabilising the country.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Minister of Defence, Bashir Magashi, in Kano, on Saturday, February 13 in response to questions from newsmen on the renewed protests at the Lekki toll gate.

Ripples Nigeria gathered that the Minister was in Kano for the APC membership revalidation exercise.

According to Magashi, the Buhari-led administration will not be governed the way some people want it.

He further commended the government for appointing new service chiefs while expressing optimism that the move will yield the desired result of winning the war against insurgents.

“If some people are seeing this country, that it has to be governed the way they want, they are mistaken,” Magashi said.

“We are not elected to serve a particular people. We were elected to serve this country. Whoever is involved in this thing, the military or the government will not allow it to happen.

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“Our interest is to ensure that there is peace and security in this country and that economic activities and social life of people are restored. That is our purpose. Whatever is happening here and there is an opinion of government.”

He also addressed Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s refusal to grant amnesty to bandits.

“If Kaduna State does not want to give amnesty to the people, please advise him that there is an international law stating what to be done and how it is done,” he said.

“We just don’t do things in isolation. We are part of the world. There are international laws and regulations that must be complied with in dealing with these situations.”

Earlier, the police beat and arrested demonstrators on Saturday as a small group protested over the reopening of the Lekki Toll Gate.

Rights group Amnesty International and witnesses said soldiers opened fire on protesters on October 20, 2020, killing scores of protesters at the toll gate.

The military has denied usingp live rounds and police have denied involvement.

There was a heavy presence of armed police officers on Saturday at the toll gate, where a group of about 15 protesters gathered despite calls by the government this week to scrap the demonstration.

Some of the protesters were eventually beaten with truncheons and arrested before being driven away in police vans.

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