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Hardship protest: organizers dispute that security agents are using the Abuja location as the IG

By: Adisa Deborah

The #EndBadGovernance rally in the Federal Capital Territory has been interrupted by security forces, police, and security professionals following differences between the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the protest organizers. The demonstration organizers, led by Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, rejected the police suggestion for circumscribed protests, claiming it violated their fundamental rights.

 

The Lagos State High Court has also limited protests to certain areas within the state, declaring that they can only take place at Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota and Peace Park in Ketu, Lagos. The ruling came after the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice filed a preemptive ex parte application to preserve public safety and avoid potential losses of life and property during the protests.

 

The Take It Back Movement, led by Adamma Ukpabi and Tosin Harsogba, has filed a preemptive ex parte application against the Lagos State Police, citing a lack of staff and probable hoodlum hijacking. The Active Citizens Group, formed by Juwon Sanyaolu and Hassan Soweto, claims that the state government has set aside two public locations, Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park and Peace Park, to prevent such incidents.

 

The court ordered a preemptive remedy, prohibiting protesters from holding rallies, processions, or gatherings outside the designated areas from August 1 until August 10, 2024. The Lagos State Commissioner of Police has been directed to provide security and traffic control at the selected protest areas. The order was served through newspaper publishing, protecting the safety of protesters and the general public.

 

Nigeria’s National Assembly has been under monitoring by security agents, prompting concern among public professionals at the Federal Secretariat and locals alike. Security personnel have been dispatched to secure the complex, Abuja-Mararaba Road, and major pedestrian bridges on Airport Road.

 

Workers and residents are concerned about the deployment, and they are afraid to return to their offices while the protests continue. Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju has urged Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja to evacuate soldiers stationed around the Federal Capital Territory and neighboring areas to quell the planned hunger strike. According to Adeyanju, the Nigeria Police Force, rather than the Nigerian Army, provides domestic security, including protester protection.

 

Damilare Adenola, Director of Mobilisation for the Take It Back Movement, has reaffirmed his unshakable support for the Eagle Square demonstration organizers, who have been denied access to the venue by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike. Adenola claims that Eagle Square belongs to Nigerians, not the federal government. He accuses Wike of attempting to violate the constitution, claiming that the same location was provided to demonstrators opposing the hunger strike. The government has been charged with engineering the tension caused by the demonstration.

 

The Livestock Productivity and Resilient Project protest in Nigeria has resulted in a concerted display of force by several agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Nigerian Army. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has advocated protection against potential attacks, while Christian leaders in Nigeria have called for a professional response. Governor Ahmed Ododo of Kogi State has encouraged the state’s young not to be used as destructive agents, while the Yoruba Obas Forum warns against exploiting the hunger strike to incite violence. The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Wing claimed that Igbo youths would not attend the event.