Daud Olatunji
The Coalition for Transparency and Economic Reforms (COTER), comprising 259 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), has raised the alarm over proposed nationwide protests against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) set for July 5, 2024.
The group, @PIDOM Nigeria, which is spearheading the protests, has been accused of being a front for disgruntled politicians aiming to incite violence and disrupt national stability.
In a press conference at the International Press Centre, Ogba, Lagos, COTER identified a former governor from a northern state, two ex-ministers, and other political figures as the masterminds behind the protests.
Adeshina Animashaun, the Coordinator of COTER, stated that the primary goal of these planned actions is to create widespread panic, fear, and anarchy, ultimately undermining President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
COTER reiterated that the protests, which PIDOM Nigeria has been mobilising via social media, are a guise for another #EndSARS-like movement, referencing the 2020 protests that resulted in significant loss of life and property.
The coalition warned that the planned demonstrations at EFCC offices across the country could lead to similar or even greater chaos.
“The utterances of the ‘faceless’ organisers are capable of igniting violence and chaos throughout the country, as it happened during the October 20, 2020 #EndSARS riots,” Animashaun said, highlighting the potential for extensive damage and loss of life.
COTER has called on the Federal Government and security agencies to act promptly to prevent the protests.
The coalition accused PIDOM Nigeria of planning to hire and arm hoodlums to incite violence, stressing that such actions could escalate into a national disaster.
“Security agencies must act immediately to avoid this looming disaster. It is imperative they take action to not allow any individual or group of persons to jeopardize the peace and continued corporate existence of the country,” Animashaun asserted.
COTER urged Nigerian youths not to be deceived by PIDOM Nigeria’s calls for protest, warning that they could become “collateral damage” in any potential conflict with security forces.
The coalition also appealed to parents and guardians to advise their children against participating in the demonstrations to avoid unnecessary risks.
“We urge our youths to disregard the disguised devilish plans of the masterminds of the forthcoming protests against the EFCC.
They are unpatriotic people without character,” COTER stated, stressing that the organizers’ true aim is self-serving rather than a genuine fight against corruption.
In their official statement, COTER leaders Dr. Peter Chima Chukwu, Mallam Auta Ibrahim Koko, and Adeshina Animashaun reiterated their commitment to supporting government efforts against corruption and promoting transparency.
They called on the public to stand against the proposed protests and ensure that Nigeria does not relive the chaos of the 2020 #EndSARS movement.
“We can no longer afford to lose more to the unpatriotic and evil activities of hoodlums masquerading as fighting for those they are claiming to have been maltreated by the EFCC,” the statement read.
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