The FCT Police Command on Thursday warned organisers of a protest march to occupy the premises of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) headquarters in Abuja, to desist from such plan as the protesters would be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
Disclosing that the OccupyCBN group who are organizers of the protest have neither informed nor notified the Police of any plan to shut down operations at the CBN headquarters, the Command said such action if allowed to take place will be an embarrassment to the nation.
FCT Public Relations Officer, ASP Anjuguri Manzah in a statement regarding the warning said, “The attention of the FCT Police Command has been drawn to the plan by a group simply identified as OccupyCBN which is threatening to shut down operations at the National Headquarters of Central Bank of Nigeria, Abuja, on Friday, 13th January, 2017. “Suffice it to state that the OccupyCBN group has neither written to inform or notify the FCT Police Command of its intention, nor has it secured any approval from the Commissioner of Police authorising it to do so.
“It is based on the foregoing that the Command wants to unequivocally reiterate that while it will continue to be professional in discharging its constitutionally assigned roles in accordance with international best practices especially as it relates to the fundamental rights of citizens. “It will not fold its arms and watch the members of this group embarrass the nation by attempting to close down operations at a critical national facility like the Central Bank of Nigeria.
“The Command wants to further reiterate that because of the sensitive nature of the CBN Headquarters, it will not allow any assemblage of individuals or group of persons around the facility.
“Leaders and members of the OccupyCBN group are therefore warned to jettison their plan and explore legitimate avenue to channel their grievances and misgiving to the appropriate authorities.
“Any gathering in contravention of this advice will amount to an unlawful assembly and those arrested in the act will be prosecuted in accordance with the appropriate sections of the law”, the statement added.