The Department of State Services (DSS) is asking persons and groups yet to identify themselves in the public as leaders of the plot to stage a nationwide protest to shelve their plans and eschew any form of proposed rage, anarchy, and spoliation.
In a statement signed by the Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications, Peter Afunaya, the Service says that while peaceful protest is a democratic right of citizens, it 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 added that the Service has identified the reason behind the protest to be political as 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 with a long-term objective of achieving a regime change, especially at the centre.
“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 read.
The Service says it has also identified the funding lines, sponsors, and collaborators of the plot and is therefore asking parents, guardians, and heads of traditional and academic institutions to advise their children, wards, subjects, and students not to take part in the planned protest.
“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,” the DSS said.
The statement further says the Service will work with other sister security and law enforcement agencies to maintain peace and where necessary, will apply all legitimate methods to achieve this.
The planned protest, billed for August 1, is to demonstrate against the prevailing economic hardship in the country.
But government authorities are calling for patience and want the organisers to have faith in the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
