According to Shuaibu, the investigation is still ongoing, but it's clear that the protesters didn't follow the necessary protocols before taking to the streets.
The Nigeria Police Force has explained what led to the arrest of five protesters participating in the #FearlessInOctober demonstrations in Plateau State.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that the protesters, identified as Yakubu Idris, Umar Faruq Dandina, Nura Abubakar, Khalid Sulaiman and Umar Faruk, were arrested by the police while exercising their fundamental human right in Jos, Plateau State.
Khalid Shuaibu, the Officer in Charge of General Investigation in the state police command, revealed in an interview with SaharaReporters that the protesters' arrest was due to their failure to provide prior notice to the police before holding the public demonstration.
According to Shuaibu, the investigation is still ongoing, but it's clear that the protesters didn't follow the necessary protocols before taking to the streets.
He said: “They were brought this evening by the police operatives who are saddled with the responsibility to look after the area around Jos junction.
“So they were on their routine patrol and then they intercepted those people (arrested protesters) protesting at the Old Airport Junction and they brought them to the State CID (Criminal Investigation Department) in Jos.
“During the investigation, we threw some questions to them: why were they there and they told us that they were there to continue with the protest that recently took place (in August).
“So we also asked them that before they embarked on this protest whether they wrote officially to the commissioner of police and other security agencies, notifying them that they were going to embark on a peaceful protest.
“They told us ‘No’, they did not do that. They said they thought that the recent protest would cover for this one.
“Protest has procedures. If you want to embark on a nationwide protest like this, there are protocols. You can’t just come out and begin broadcasting or saying something when you don’t have facts.
“It must have a legal backing in case anything happens. It is very good to notify the security agencies in case of hoodlums who may hijack the protest.
“You may come out with the intention of doing the protest peacefully and there are some people who will come out with bad intentions, trying to cause mayhem.
“The investigation is still on just as I earlier said and it is the superior authority that will give the directive. We have just commenced an investigation now. There are so many things behind it. I am only telling you briefly how we started.”