The organisers of the planned #EndBadGovernance protest, scheduled to start on Thursday, August 1, 2024, have rejected a proposal by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun for confined protests, insisting on taking to the streets across Nigeria.

At a virtual meeting with the organisers, the IGP suggested confined protests in identified locations and advised against street rallies, citing security concerns. However, human rights advocate Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN, representing the #TakeitBackMovement, one of the promoters of the proposed nationwide hunger protest, rejected the proposal.

Adegboruwa said, “Our letter to the Inspector General of Police indicates that there will be processions that will be guided to achieve peace during the protests… We cannot give a specific number of people who would participate in the protest as Nigerians have been invited to join the rallies.”

The IGP warned that terror elements are looking to infiltrate crowds to wreak havoc and that some persons calling for violence during the forthcoming protest have been arrested. “Confining peaceful protesters to particular locations will help us a lot,” he said.

However, Adegboruwa insisted that the attention of the police should be focused on thugs and groups threatening violence, assuring the IGP that the organisers are not destructive.

The IGP subsequently said the police would provide security cover for protesters at confined locations sent to the Force Headquarters, but warned that he could not guarantee security for street processions.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has warned protesters to avoid the country’s custodial centres, describing them as critical national assets vital to public safety and national security.

StreetReporters.ng