By Abimbola Ogunnaike
As a measure to forestall the breakdown of law and order, the Nasarawa State Police Command has banned all forms of protests across the 13 local government areas of the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Ramhan Nansel, made this known in a statement in Lafia, the state capital on Sunday, 26 March, 2023.
According to Nansel, the move by the command was based on security report, adding that all proposed protests under any guise were prohibited.
It was gathered that ban followed persistent protest embarked upon by women believed to be supporters of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the state.
“The Nasarawa State Police Command wishes to inform the general public that all forms of protest have been banned throughout the state.
“The police command took this decision in so as to stop the breakdown of law and order and to sustain the peace currently being enjoyed in the state; as the intelligent report on security can no longer sustain any form of protest in the state.
“Consequently, parents and guardians are advised to ensure their children and wards do not violate this order as anyone caught shall be arrested and prosecuted accordingly,” Nansel said in the statement.
It was gathered that members of the PDP in the state including women and youth groups had been protesting since last week Monday, demanding that the Independent National Electoral Commission review the results of the 2023 governorship election.
INEC declared incumbent Governor Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner of the poll.