The chief of naval staff, Emmanuel Ogalla has said the navy will not sit idly and watch “subversive elements sponsoring violent protests” to take over Nigeria.
Nigerians have taken to the streets since August 1 in a protest tagged #EndBadGovernance, asking for remedies to the various challenges, including the rising cost of living and insecurity in the country.
But the demonstration has turned violent in some parts of the country, culminating in the looting and utter destruction of properties.
Also, protesters have been seen waving flags of Russia and China, demanding military intervention in the country in some parts of northern Nigeria, including Kano, Kaduna, Plateau, and the federal capital territory (FCT),
However, whilst speaking during a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, the chief of naval staff said Nigerians have a constitutional right to protest, saying that the armed forces share in the hopes and aspirations of citizens for better governance.
The naval chief also said that the armed forces have been doing all they could to make sure they provide the enabling environment to support President Bola Tinubu in cutting down poverty and hardship.
“Particularly, the Nigerian Navy, we have been working towards addressing the issue of insecurity in our maritime environment, and this has yielded positive results, leading to an increase in our oil production,” he said.
“The armed forces of Nigeria are constitutionally charged with the responsibility of defending the nation from both internal and external aggression and protecting the sovereignty of this country.
“This is for the overall good of all citizens. We have the responsibility of protecting the freedom of Nigerians and their ability to select who should lead them.
“When we see people protesting against bad governance and poverty, and we see other people calling for unconstitutional change of government and people calling for foreign intervention, it shows that some of these protesters are not exactly what Nigerians were made to believe.
“It is obvious to us that many of these protesters are sponsored by subversive elements who are bent on disrupting the peace that we have enjoyed for the past 25 years of democratic governance.
“For that reason, as part of our constitutional responsibility of protecting Nigeria’s sovereignty, we stand ready to provide needed assistance to the Nigerian police in order to ensure that order is restored to all parts of the country where the violent protests have started.
“The Nigerian Navy will not sit back to watch these subversive elements take over our commonwealth. We’ll do all that is required within the ambits of the law to show them they have no place in our society.”