Department of State Services (DSS) has announced that it has uncovered the identities of those behind a planned nationwide protest, citing political motivations.
Gatekeepers News reports that in a statement released on Thursday, DSS spokesperson Peter Afunanya revealed that the agency is employing non-confrontational tactics to address the impending demonstration.
The planned protest, reportedly spearheaded by youths across the country, aims to draw attention to the escalating cost of living.
Afunanya assured that the DSS is taking a measured approach to resolve the situation peacefully.
“While peaceful protest is a democratic right of citizens, the Service has confirmed a sinister plan by some elements to infiltrate the protest and use it to cause chaos and extreme violence in the land,” the statement reads.
“It has also identified the reason behind the protest to be political.
“The plotters desire to use the intended violent outcome to smear the federal and sub-national governments; make them unpopular and pit them against the masses. The long-term objective is to achieve regime change, especially at the centre.
“The Service has also identified, among others, the funding lines, sponsors, and collaborators of the plot.
“However, it does not think that aggression should be the first line of action in the instance, in handling the emerging scenario.
“It has instead variously applied non-kinetic and conflict resolution strategies, including moral suasion, stakeholder engagement, and other multi-track diplomatic shuttles, to dissuade the planners from actualising their undesirable objective.”
Afunanya said the “agitators” should use “ample ways” available to them to channel their grievances without resorting to violence.
“The Service calls on people of goodwill, leaders of thought, captains of industry, labour unions, student associations, youth leaders, the civil society, clergy, NGOs, women groups, civil servants, and politicians to shun any invitation to participate in any orchestrated violence, deliberately designed to cause disaffection in the country,” he said.
