Nationwide Protest: Tinubu's old post supporting attack on govt resurfaces online

President Bola Tinubu's old post on X, formerly known as Twitter, favouring protest against former President Goodluck Jonathan's administration has surfaced online.

Tinubu at the time urged the police not to attack protesters because their lives and children were involved.

"Police. Do not attack protesters. Your children are involved. Your lives are involved. Your children's future lies here," Tinubu had written before he became the President.

Torizone recalls that there were a series of protests during Jonathan's administration, with Tinubu and many other prominent leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, then throwing their support behind protests against the government.

The President's former position on protests against the government resurfaced amid plans by some Nigerian youths to commence nationwide protests beginning August 1-10, 2024.

Torizone reports that the protest, which is currently gaining traction in the North and other parts of the country, is aimed at drawing the attention of governments at all levels to the worsening economic hardship in the nation.

Torizone reports that Nigeria's headline inflation increased for the 18th time in June 2024 to 34.19 percent from 33.95 percent recorded in May.

This was contained in the latest Consumer Price Index and Inflation report released on Monday by the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS.

It's also being alleged that the Nigeria Police Force is initiating plans to halt the planned protest.

The police, in an internal memo sighted by Torizone, said "Some groups are mobilizing for mass protest nationwide beginning from 1 to 10 2024".

The memo, dated July 8 and copied to zonal Assistant Inspectors-General of Police, requested the operatives to be proactive and "mobilize well-kitted and equipped personnel" ahead of the protest.

However, one of the X users, @Emir Sirdam, who shared the President's post on X in November 2013, drew the attention of the police to Tinubu's words about the protest.

He wrote: "Your words will be your greatest enemy. Dear Nigerian Police @PoliceNG take note."
While @Comrade Isah Muhhamed wrote: "@PoliceNG come and see this. So when we come out, you abide by this principle."