The organizers of the planned #EndBadGovernance nationwide demonstrations slated for August 1 have rejected a proposal by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun for confined protests.
During a meeting on Tuesday, July 30, the IGP suggested protests be held in specific locations and advised against street rallies. Egbetokun mentioned that some individuals calling for violence during the forthcoming protests have been arrested.
He warned that street processions could be hijacked by fifth columnists and enemies of the state. “It is not advisable to go on street processions because as you are planning a protest, some are planning violence,” the IGP advised. “Confining peaceful protesters to particular locations will help us a lot.”
However, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), a lawyer for the Take It Back Movement, one of the groups organizing the nationwide protests, rejected the proposal. Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), representatives of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), other lawyers, civil society organizations, and some leaders of the planned protests also attended the virtual meeting and rejected the restricted movement.
The planned protest against economic hardship, gaining traction on social media, is scheduled to be held across all states of the Federation and the nation’s capital Abuja in August. According to the organizers, increases in food prices, fuel prices, hunger, hopelessness, and joblessness among the youth are the reasons for the protest.
Adegboruwa highlighted some of the points of convergence for the protests as Eagle Square, Abuja; Alausa Park, Lagos; Akpakpava Lane, Benin City; School of Agric, Bauchi; Rosewale Filling Station, Iwo Road, Ibadan; Maiduguri Roundabout, opposite State Stadium, Damaturu, Yobe State; Rainbow Roundabout and Pantani Stadium, River and Freedom Park, Osogbo.
After the IGP’s proposal, Adegboruwa stated there would be street processions before protesters converged at specific locations sent to the police. “Our letter to the Inspector General of Police indicates that there will be processions that will be guided to achieve peace during the protests,” he said, noting that leaders will also make speeches on the days of the protest.
Adegboruwa also emphasized that the police should focus on thugs and groups threatening violence. He said the organizers cannot give a specific number of participants as Nigerians have been invited to join the rallies. The senior lawyer assured the IGP that the organizers were not destructive.
Egbetokun subsequently said the police would provide security cover for protesters at confined locations sent to the Force Headquarters. “I will not be able to guarantee security for your members if you embark on street processions,” the IGP said. “I believe that a peaceful protest in a confined location will be safe,” he warned.
Oreoluwa is an accountant and a brand writer with a flair for journalism.
