Organizers of protests reject Inspector General of Police proposal for confined protests… Insist on street processions

Organisers of the planned #EndBadGovernance nationwide demonstrations slated for August have rejected a proposal by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun for confined protests.

At a meeting with the organisers on Tuesday, the IGP suggested confined protests in identified locations and advised against street rallies.

“It is not advisable to go on street processions because as you are planning a protest, some are planning violence,” the IGP advised.

However, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), a lawyer for the Take It Back Movement, one of the groups organising the nationwide protests, rejected the proposal of the IGP.

Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), representatives of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), other lawyers, civil society organisations as well as some arrowheads of the planned protests also attended the virtual meeting.

The planned protests against economic hardship, which is gaining traction on social media, have been scheduled to be held across all states of the Federation as well as the nation’s capital Abuja in August.

Prices of food and basic commodities have gone through the roof in the last months, as Nigerians battle one of the country’s worst inflation rates and economic crises sparked by the government’s twin policies of petrol subsidy removal and unification of forex windows.

The police, military and the Department of State Services had warned against Kenya-styled protests. Politicians, who surmised that the planned rallies might end up like the EndSARS demonstrations of October 2020, have continued to appeal to youths to shelve the planned rallies but the young people remain unfazed, doggedly insisting that the protests will hold.

Adegboruwa, one of the lawyers for the protesters, had on July 26, 2024, written the IGP to provide police coverage for protesters.

The IGP, in his response letter dated July 29, 2024, directed senior police officers to attend to the request of the senior lawyer.

Egbetokun subsequently requested to meet with Adegboruwa in Abuja on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, “to deliberate further” on his request.

However, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria opted for a virtual meeting with the police boss, enlisting Falana, members of the NBA and others to attend the meeting.

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,

In his speech at Tuesday’s meeting, Egbetokun said some persons calling for violence during the forthcoming protests have been arrested.

He warned against street processions which he said could be hijacked by fifth columnists and enemies of the state.

“Confining peaceful protesters to particular locations will help us a lot,” the IGP said, sounding the alarm that terror elements are looking to infiltrate crowds to wreak havoc.

After the IGP’s proposal, Adegboruwa said 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.

Also, Adegboruwa said the attention of the police should be focused on thugs and groups threatening fire and brimstone. He said the organisers cannot give a specific number of people who would participate in the protests as Nigerians have been invited to join the rallies.

The senior lawyer assured the IGP that the organisers are 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”.

The police boss quickly added that if Commissioners of Police in states across the Federation have enough manpower, they could deploy their men to guard protesters during street processions.

He advised the organisers to contact police top brass in their various locations to notify them of their requests for security cover during street processions and confined protests.