No more #bringbackourgirls protest in Abuja, CP Joseph Mbu declares

Joseph Mbu, Commissioner of Police, for the Federal Capital Territory, has banned all bring back our girls protests in Abuja.

The CP made this declaration on Monday.

The protest had been geared towards urging the federal government to do more about bringing back the over 234  abducted  Chibok schoolgirls.

Mbu announced the ban at a news conference in Abuja

He said, "The trend of the protest in the FCT is posing a serious security threat.

“Accordingly, protests on the Chibok girls are hereby banned with immediate effect. As the FCT police boss, I cannot fold my hands and watch this lawlessness (protests). Information reaching us is that too soon, dangerous elements will join groups under the guise of protest and detonate explosives aimed at embarrassing the government.

"After a group under the aegis of  '#Bring Back Our Girls' protested on April 28, another group 'Release Our Girls' emerged.

"Information at the disposal of the command indicated that dangerous elements were about to hijack the protest hence the ban.

"A situation where the ‘Fountain of Unity’, venue of gathering for the protest was being turned into a place for cooking and selling has become very embarrassing.

“People have been protesting over a month now…it is the issue of terrorism, it is not solved in one day. Then, when you continue to do it persistently, it becomes a nuisance to the government."

Mbu, who is the former Rivers State Police Commissioner,  was of the opinion that  the ban would not violate freedom of expression and assembly of the protesters, the commissioner said that one person’s freedom should not affect other peoples’ freedom.