Ogun court restricts protests to 4 locations, asks protesters to go home by 5 pm

The Ogun State High Court has asked Nigerians joining the upcoming hunger protest to limit their activities to four locations in the state.

The court also restricted the time frame of the protests to between 8 am and 5 pm.

This state government announced this development in a statement after Justice Olugboyega Ogunfowora granted an application by the State’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade (SAN) on Wednesday, July 31, 2024.

According to the statement, the judge “prohibited the protesters from protesting anywhere in the state except at the MKO Stadium, Abeokuta; Ansar-ud-Deen Comprehensive High School, Ota; Remo Divisional High School, Sagamu; and Dipo Dina Stadium, Ijebu-Ode.”

The Attorney-General while moving the application before the court explained “that the four locations are across the four divisions of the state in the three senatorial districts allow protesters in those vicinities to conveniently participate in the protests under adequate protection and without infringing on the rights of any non-protesting members of the public.”

The judge directed the Commissioner of Police in Ogun State to enforce the order and ensure that the protests are held only in the specified locations and during the periods stated in the order.

This is coming 24 hours after the Lagos High Court granted an exparte application restricting the proposed August 1 nationwide protest in the state to the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota and the Peace Park in Ketu.

The Lagos State Government said there is a need to protect the critical infrastructures of the state to prevent a repeat of the violent incidents that followed the EndSARS protests.

The state government added that the police in the state do not have sufficient manpower to provide security support for the protesters on public highways and other areas of public access in Lagos.