How to check recurrence of protests, by police chief

THE Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Nicholas Nkedeme, has said that the only way to prevent a recurrence of the ongoing mass protest is for government to implement policies that will be in the best interest of the entire populace.'It is my view that if government takes decisions that the public think are not in their interest, they will react, and one of such is the ongoing strike', the police boss told journalists in Abeokuta yesterday.Nkedeme made the assertion while briefing reporters on the reported face-off between men of his command and some youths he referred to as miscreants who blocked the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Tuesday. It was reported that two persons lost their lives during the face-off as a result of police shooting. The police boss said there were injuries but that there were no deaths as far as he knew.Narrating what led to the face-off, Nkedeme said the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) phoned to 'tell me that he was coming to see me in Abeokuta but the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway had been blocked by miscreants who were robbing and vandalising vehicles, making it impossible for him to continue his journey.'He continued : 'On getting to the spot, near Ibafo, the miscreants attacked and vandalised my car and my backup vehicles. We went back and mobilised and on our return to the spot, we succeeded in paving the way.'According to him, despite the stiff resistance from the miscreants during which himself and two of his men were stoned, resulting in their (two men) hospitalisation, the police did not shoot.Nkedeme , however, admitted that some of the miscreants the police engaged in the fracas got injured and were rushed to the hospital for admission and did not know their fate.Besides, for the third day running yesterday, labour's order for mass protest against the removal of the oil subsidy was 100 per cent complied with in Ogun State.Workers of both government and the private sectors stayed at home in compliance with the 'stay at home' order by labour leaders and civil rights activists.As it was when the strike began on Monday all shops, markets, hospitals, schools, banks and mechanic workshops remained shut. Youths blocked all major roads with tyres and logs making it impossible for journalists to move round with their vehicles. All the major streets in Abeokuta were turned into playing fields where youths played football.The street protests, however, shifted to Sagamu, one of the major towns in the state where a large number of protesters, led by the state labour leader, Mr. Akeem Ambali and some right activists marched through principal streets in the town. They later delivered a letter to the town's monarch, Oba Michael Sonariwo to be delivered to President Goodluck Jonathan. The protest moved to Ijebu-Ode, another major town in the state.
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