Lagos State Restricts Nationwide Protest Against Hunger and Economic Hardships to Two Parks
A Lagos State High Court has granted an interim injunction restricting a proposed nationwide protest against hunger and economic hardships to two parks in the state. The Take It Back (TIB) movement, one of the organisations behind the planned protest, has announced its intention to proceed with the protest despite the court’s decision.
According to reports, Justice Emmanuel Ogundare granted the exparte application filed by the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro. The application seeks to restrict the proposed protests in Lagos to the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota and the Peace Park in Ketu.
The National Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement, Juwon Sanyaolu, has dismissed the court order, stating that he has not been served any notice. "I am yet to be served, and to this end, I take this news as a rumour, and a joke taken too far! No court order can repress a people’s desire to be free," Sanyaolu told The PUNCH.
In a statement, Sanyaolu questioned how the court order could be effective without being served personally or by any other means. "How do I know of the order or its content? How do I or any ‘unknown person’ as they claim, comply with what we have not seen?" he asked.
The Lagos Coordinator of the TIB, Adeyemi Taofeek, has asked the state government to provide buses for protesters to convey them from their point of convergence to the court-designated venues. Taofeek stipulated that the buses must be clean, safe, and air-conditioned, and that they must arrive at the designated areas as early as 6 am and return protesters to their convergence points at 6 pm.
The State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, has refused to comment on the issue, stating that a statement would be issued later.
The planned protest, which is scheduled to commence on Thursday, August 1, aims to address the issues of hunger and economic hardships facing the country. With the court’s restriction, it remains to be seen how the TIB and the state government will navigate the situation in the coming days.
