The police said the action would ensure that protesters would not get tyres to burn on highways or any other place of importance.
Ahead of the nationwide #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest against exacerbating hunger and misgovernance under the administration of President Bola Tinubu, the Inspector General of Police has directed all state commands to raid all vulcaniser shops in their jurisdiction and seize all un-used tyres and dispose them off.
The police said the action would ensure that protesters would not get tyres to burn on highways or any other place of importance.
A leaked police wireless message the Commissioner of Police Ekiti State Police Command addressed to Divisional Police Officer and various units commands which SaharaReporters obtained warned divisional police officers (DPOs) in whose areas protesters make burn fire, saying they would be sanctioned accordingly.
Although, SaharaReporters could not ascertain the kind of punishment that would be meted out to divisional police officers (DPOs) failed and it was not stated in the wireless message.
The wireless message dated "DTO:240840/07/2024 addressed to DECOMPOL CID/ACPOL SID/ALL ACPOLS/DPOS/RRS/ AKS/SHP EKITI, reads:
"CB:4001/EKS/DOPS/VOL.53/181. Order and directives. Re-nationwide protest against end bad government in Nigeria. In view of Inspector General of Police conference/briefing with Assistant Inspector General of Police zones and Commissioners of Police in all the states on the above subject. Commissioner of Police directs you go out in the midnight, raid vulcanizer shops in and around yours and seize all un-used tyres and dispose them off to prevent protesters from using same to set burn fire on the highway.
"Any DPO in whose Area of Operation burn fire occurs will be sanctioned accordingly. All to ensure strict compliance please."