•Policemen
The Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom State, Waheed Ayilara, has deployed 3,200 police officers across the State after a meeting with the State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC ), affiliate bodies and other stakeholders given the planned protest by the labour Union.
Police Public Relations Officer for the State SP Odiki Macdon said in a statement today that the CP had agreed that freedom of expression and association are enshrined constitutional rights.
He, however, noted that in exploring such rights, especially that of protest, peace and order must be maintained, and the protest should be held under the laws of the land.
The CP, while calling on the labour union and residents of the state to consider the peace of the state as sacrosanct, warned “criminal elements” who may want to take advantage of any form of protest to perpetrate evil, to have a rethink as the Command “will identify and deal decisively with those fomenting trouble”.
He called on the NLC to be peaceful in their conduct and urged all residents of the state to go about their lawful businesses as there would be watertight Police security at all times.
