Lokoja local government council has banned all forms of protests in the Kogi state capital and its environs.
In a terse statement signed by Muhammed Bala Yusuf, Special Adviser on Security to the Caretaker Chairman, Lokoja Local Government Area, and made available to newsmen on Sunday, stated any illegal procession that will inconvenience residents, motorists and businesses will be resisted.
The statement said the attention of Lokoja Local Government has been drawn to a rumored 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).
It stated that 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 rumored planned protest, if true, is illegal and hereby banned in Lokoja Local Government and its environs.
“Without mincing words, ANY person or group of persons that engage 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 statement read.
The local government urged aggrieved persons to explore peaceful and proper channels of resolving their issues, without resorting to unlawful actions that would affect the peace of the council.
