ABUJA: Protests by supporters of more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram have been banned in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, police said on Monday, as activists vowed to challenge the “illegal “move.

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) police spokeswoman Altine Daniel confirmed the ban in a text message, saying the decision was taken “because of security reasons”.

Protest organisers questioned the legitimacy of the move and eyed a possible political motive, but police chief Joseph Mbu said the ban was imposed because of the threat of infiltration from “dangerous elements”.

“There is no basis for and no power of FCT Commissioner of Police to ban peaceful assembly of any group of persons in... the city. None@ ALL,” said protest leader Oby Ezekwesili on Twitter.

“The decision to ban the protest is insane. We are going to court as soon as possible to challenge the ban,” added the group’s lawyer, Femi Falana.

“It is illegal because a court of competent jurisdiction has ruled in December 2007 that no police permit is needed to stage a peaceful protest anywhere in Nigeria.” Bring Back Our Girls spokesman Rotimi Olawale said that the protesters were “unperturbed” and would meet again in the capital on Tuesday.

“We have been peaceful in our protest. We don’t obstruct traffic or constitute ourselves to a public menace,” he added.

Worldwide support: Noisy street protests in Abuja have become a regular feature of the campaign to keep the mass kidnapping of the girls in the public domain, as well as pressure on the Nigerian government.

The demonstrations grew out of a social media campaign #BringBackOurGirls, which attracted worldwide support from ordinary people to US First Lady Michelle Obama and Pope Francis.

Copycat demonstrations have also been held around the globe.

Families and supporters of the missing girls were critical of Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan’s response to the abduction, accusing him of being slow to react and indifferent to their plight.

In the weeks after the April 14 abduction, Nigeria has been forced to accept foreign help, including from the United States, to try to find the girls.

The protests meanwhile have grown to involve activists and campaign groups, who have sought meetings with senior figures in Jonathan’s administration, including the president himself.

But on Wednesday last week, the high-profile marches descended into violence after scores of young men attacked women protesters, throwing chairs, bottles and stones.

Some of the men were carrying posters in support of Jonathan, protest leaders said, although there was no immediate evidence connecting the gang to the head of state or his ruling Peoples Democratic Party.

Mbu said in a statement that the emergence of a second group of protesters – Release Our Girls – was “posing a serious security threat” to nearby residents.

“As the FCT Police boss I cannot fold my hands and watch this lawlessness,” he said.

“Information reaching us is that too soon dangerous elements will join the groups under the guise of protest and detonate explosive(s) aimed at embarrassing the government.”

Accordingly protests on the Chibok girls is hereby banned with immediate effect.

Political motive: Information Minister Labaran Maku claimed after last Wednesday’s violence that the majority of the protesters were members of the main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), which is looking to unseat the PDP in next year’s general election.

Banners of the smaller opposition Labour Party have been seen on previous marches, according to AFP reporters.

Ezekwesili, however, is a former education minister under ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo – Jonathan’s mentor – and a regular presence at the demonstrations.

The former World Bank executive claimed that the FCT police chief did nothing to prevent last week’s violence and said the ban indicated that Nigeria’s government wants to deflect attention from itself. “Banning protests in Abuja further underlines our govt’s not wanting to take responsibility,” she tweeted.

Mbu was recently transferred from Rivers state in the southern Niger Delta region to the capital, amid accusations that he was doing the presidency’s bidding –charges he has denied.

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2014