From Ahmed Muhammed Danasabe, Lokoja
The Lokoja Local Government, have directed the ban on any forms of protest in the Local Government Area and its immediate environs noting that its action was in response to a rumoured planned protest by some persons in the guise of Okada Riders ahead of the inauguration of the Kogi State Chapter of the Motorcycle Operators Union of Nigeria (MOUN).
This was made known in a press statement by Muhammed Bala Yusuf, the Special Adviser on Security to the Caretaker Chairman, Lokoja Local Government Caretaker which he signed on behalf of the caretaker Local government chairman.
He said “While the current authority of the Local Government respects the rights of individuals to peaceful assembly and expression of grievances, interest or bias, the lawful processes and procedures cannot be bypassed. The rumoured planned protest, if true, is illegal and hereby banned in Lokoja Local Government and its environs”.
He went further to advise those behind such rumoured protests to desist forthwith, all modalities put in place for the demonstration.
He assured that any person or group of persons that engaged in any illegal procession aimed at causing traffic congestion, inconveniences to residents and businesses and any form of disruption to our community would face the full weight of the law.
The Special Adviser noted that the local government urged any aggrieved person(s) to explore peaceful and proper channels of resolving their issues, without resorting to unlawful actions that would affect the peace of the council.
