THE Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja has restricted protesters against hunger and poor governance in Nigeria, kicking-off on August 1, to the MKO Abiola Stadium in the nation’s capital.
The presiding judge, Sylvanus Oriji, gave the order on Wednesday, July 31, while delivering a ruling in an ex-parte application filed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
The FCT Minister had applied for an order of interim injunction restraining the five leaders of the protesting groups from gathering or parading themselves along any roadway, streets, offices, and public premises within the FCT between August 1 to August 10, or any other day thereafter, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
The five leaders of the protest listed among the defendants in the suit are Omoyele Sowore, Damilare Adenola, Adama Ukpabi, Tosin Harsogba, and Persons Unknown.
Other respondents are the Inspector-General of Police, Commissioner of Police, Director-General of the State Security Service, Director-General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff, Chief of Naval Staff as 1st to 12th respondents.
The ICIR reports that a human rights group, Take It Back movement on Friday, July 26, requested the FCT Minister to grant them the use of Eagle Square for the demonstration, known as #EndBadGovernance protest.
The group made the request through a letter signed by its Director of Mobilisation, Damilare Adenola.
The group highlighted demands, including the provision of a 24-hour power supply, toilet facilities, water, and security for the convenience of Nigerian citizens who would be camped out at the Eagles Square.
However, in the exparte application by his counsel, Ogwu Onoja, a senior advocate, Wike sought for order of interim injunction mandating the security agencies to prevent the protesting leaders from gathering or parading themselves along any roadway, offices, or public premises within the FCT between August 1 and 10, pending the hearing of his motion on notice.
The minister stated that while the federal government was not opposed to the protest, intelligence and security reports suggested that certain elements within the protest leadership planned to use the demonstration to cause havoc, irreparable damage to public facilities, block roadways, and disrupt public peace.
Meanwhile, the judge in his ruling restricted the protesters to the stadium given the fears expressed by the minister.
“In the light of the above, the court considers it appropriate and expedient to grant an order under the omnibus or general prayer to ensure that the rights of the protesters are guaranteed and that the protest does not negatively or adversely affect the rights of other citizens to move about and to ensure that properties and other public facilities are not destroyed,” the judge held.
The judge, therefore, ordered the 1st to 5th respondents to “use the Moshood Abiola Stadium” only for the protest.
This latest development comes few hours before the protest for which some Nigerians, along with a group led by former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, have been mobilising for.
The posts and tweets on the protest carry different hashtags, ranging from #RevolutionNow, #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria, #TakeItBack, #DaysofRage and #TinubuMustGo.
Since the emergence of President Bola Tinubu, there has been unprecedented inflation, with the market prices of food snowballing and more citizens pushed into poverty.
The ICIR reported that the president held closed-door meetings with the traditional rulers and governors over the demonstration. Similarly, political actors including former presidential candidates, political parties and other stakeholders have issued various statements about the planned protest.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: [email protected]. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M