The Inspector General of Police – IGP, KAYODE EGBETOKUN has urged all groups planning to participate in the proposed nationwide protest to submit their details to the Commissioners of Police in their respective states.

EGBETOKUN who stated this while addressing Journalists in Abuja, stressed that this was to ensure the protest was peaceful.

 The IG added that the information expected from the organisers also include measures to prevent hijacking by criminal elements, as well as key identifiers for possible isolation of potential troublemakers.

Speaking further, the Inspector General of Police said that intelligence at the disposal of the Force has revealed that foreign mercenaries are involved in the proposed nationwide protest.

He urged all Nigerians to exercise caution and think twice before joining any protest group.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Anambra state, NNAGHE OBONO ITAM has insisted that only identifiable protesters in the state would be allowed to participate during the proposed nationwide hunger protest.

CP ITAM cautioned that any form of violence or unlawful activities during the protest would not be tolerated.

The CP who stated this in Awka, said that protesters should go and identify themselves at their nearest police locations, adding that only the identifiable protesters will be protected, noting that faceless individuals will not be allowed to participate.

He said the Command would not stop people from protesting, but any action that threatens the fragile peace in the state would not be tolerated.

In the same Vein, some Traditional rulers and Islamic scholars have called for calm over the planned nationwide protest to demonstrate against the prevailing economic hardship in Nigeria.

The protest has garnered traction on social media, prompting a meeting between traditional rulers and President BOLA TINUBU at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday.

A meeting which was also convened with Islamic scholars subsequently is part of a last-minute push by the President TINUBU administration – which has come under severe criticism over its policies – to avert the planned protest.

The Ooni of Ife Oba ADEYE ENITAN OGUNWUSI is one of the Traditional leaders that has spoken, calling for caution so that the protest would not be hijacked. His comment was followed with an appeal from an Islamic scholar, SHEIKH ABDULRAHMAN AHMAD, who expressed concerns about the protest leading to an insurrection.

Following the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira since the inception of the TINUBU government, the cost of living has soared, prompting the administration to reel out a raft of measures.

The measures include a new minimum wage for workers and the distribution of palliatives. President BOLA ADMED TINUBU has called for patience.