According to Mike Ejiofor, a former director of the Department of State Services, the protest against the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s attempts to eliminate the gasoline subsidy in 2012 did not degenerate into violence, in part due to “the body language” of the previous president. Ejiofor, the president of the National Institute for Security Studies’ Alumni Association, added that the demonstrators were not angry because the country’s circumstances were not as dire as they are now. Speaking about the planned #EndBadGovernance protests from August 1–10 and the government’s efforts to deter the organizers from taking to the streets, the former head of DSS provided the answer.
In reaction to the nation’s economic difficulties, the military and police have also issued warnings against the demonstration that is set to take place from August 1 to August 10. “A state of anarchy is the only way to characterize the degree of violence that is anticipated. Major General Edward Buba, the defense spokesman, stated on Thursday that the military will not stand by and watch chaos engulf our country. In response to a question on why the 2012 protest was not met with threats or a crackdown by security forces, Ejiofor claimed in an appearance on the Arise TV Morning Show on Friday that it was in part due to Jonathan, the president at the time,’s body language.
