The Ogun State High Court has issued an order limiting the activities of the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protesters to four specific locations within the state. The court also restricted the time frame for the protests to between 8 am and 5 pm.
The ruling, delivered by Justice O. Ogunfowora on Wednesday, came in response to an application moved by the State’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade (SAN). The judge directed that all protests under the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria slogan or any other slogan from 1 August 2024 to 10 August 2024 must be limited in place and time.
The protesters are now only permitted to hold demonstrations at the MKO Stadium in Abeokuta, Ansar-ud-Deen Comprehensive High School in Ota, Remo Divisional High School in Sagamu, and Dipo Dina Stadium in Ijebu-Ode. These locations span the four divisions of the state across the three senatorial districts.
The Attorney-General explained that the designated locations were chosen to allow protesters in those areas to conveniently participate in the demonstrations under adequate protection while ensuring that the rights of non-protesting members of the public are not infringed upon.
In addition to the location restrictions, the court prohibited any protests from taking place outside the hours of 8 am to 5 pm. Justice Ogunfowora 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 stated time periods.
The court’s order will remain in effect for seven days, during which the State is required to serve the application on notice. The judge shortened the time for the protesters to respond to the application to 72 hours.
The case has been adjourned to 6 August 2024 for further hearing.