A Lagos High Court has ruled that organizers of the planned protest in Lagos must limit their activities to two designated locations: Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota and Peace Park in Ketu.
The court’s decision was made in response to an application filed by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro (SAN), who sought to maintain law and order, ensure public safety, and prevent loss of lives and property.
Justice Emmanuel Ogundare granted the injunction, restricting the protest to the designated locations from August 1-10, 2024, between 8 am and 6 pm.
The court also ordered the police to provide security and traffic management support to the protest organizers at these locations.
Pedro had argued that the protest organizers planned to shut down Lagos State and sabotage its economy and that the police did not have sufficient manpower to provide security for the protesters in all local government highways and public areas. He stated that the designated locations were chosen to prevent the protest from being hijacked by hoodlums planning to wreak havoc.
Pedro said: “In recognition of the citizens’ fundamental right to stage a public protest against government policies and actions but prevent unlawful destruction of lives and properties in the process, the Lagos State Government has designated two public spaces and locations in the state where citizens can meet and converge to protest or express their displeasure against government.
“The locations are Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park, Ojota, Lagos State and Peace Park, Ketu, Lagos State.
“Public protest in all the local government councils and public highways as well as other areas of public access in the state for 10 days is a deliberate plan to shut down the state and if this is allowed, it will amount to economic sabotage.
“An order of the court is required in the circumstances to protect the fundamental rights of first to fifth defendants/respondents to protest and other residents opposed to the protest to go about their lawful engagements without harassment, disturbance and destruction of public buildings/properties.”
Justice Ogundare, who granted the injunction, said: “An order of pre-emptive remedy by way of interim injunction is hereby granted restraining the first to fifth defendants/respondents whether by themselves, their agents, privies, servants or any other person(s) acting through them from converging and carrying out their proposed peaceful public protest, rallies, procession and meetings in Lagos State from the 1st-10th August 2024 except in the approved designated location for peaceful public protest, rallies and meetings, to wit: Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park, Ikorodu Road, Ojota, Lagos State and Peace Park Ketu Lagos from 8 .00 am to 6 pm pending compliance with the pre-action protocol by the claimant.
“An order of pre-emptive remedy by way of interim preservative order is hereby granted directing the sixth defendant (CP) to protect the fundamental rights of the first to fifth defendants/respondents to freedom of association, peaceful public protest, procession and tallies in the approved designated location for peaceful public protest, rallies and meetings in Lagos State, to wit: Gani Fawehinm Freedom Park, Ikorodu Road Ojota, Lagos and Peace Park, Ketu Lagos from 8 am to 6 pm on August 1-10, 2024 pending compliance with the pre-action protocol by the Claimant.”
The defendants in the suit include Adamma Ukpabi and Tosin Harsogba (for Active Citizens Group); Comrade Juwon Sanyaolu and Hassan Soweto (for Take it Back Movement); Persons unknown; and the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State.
The court’s decision comes as Police Inspector-General Kayode Egbetokun advised two lawyers backing the proposed protest to liaise with the Police Commissioners in charge of state police commands for guidelines on street procession. The IG met with Messrs Femi Falana (SAN) and Ebun Olu-Adegboruwa (SAN) on Tuesday to discuss the matter.
