JUSTICE Sylvanus Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja has designated the MKO Abiola Stadium as the sole location for protesters participating in the demonstration scheduled for August 1.
Justice Oriji issued this directive today while ruling on an ex-parte application submitted by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
The ex parte application, presented by his legal representative, Ogwu Onoja, sought an interim injunction to prevent the five leaders of the protest groups from gathering or marching along any roadways, streets, offices, or public areas within the FCT from August 1 to August 10, or any date thereafter, pending the outcome of the main motion.
Additionally, the minister requested another interim injunction that would require security agencies to prevent the protest leaders from gathering or marching in those areas during the same period, pending further hearings.
The minister, who stated that the Federal Government is not opposed to the protest, expressed concerns based on intelligence and security reports suggesting that some individuals among the protest leaders may attempt to exploit the demonstration to incite chaos, cause significant damage to public property, block roadways, and disrupt public order.
He noted that when he approached security agencies to ensure the protest remained peaceful and did not escalate into criminal activities, he was informed that they were not adequately prepared to handle any potential crises arising from the protest on short notice.
In his ruling, Justice Oriji acknowledged the protesters’ rights to demonstrate but imposed restrictions that confine their activities to the stadium, in light of the serious concerns raised by the minister.
“The court finds it appropriate and necessary to issue an order under the general prayer to ensure that the protesters’ rights are safeguarded, while also ensuring that their activities do not negatively impact the rights of other citizens or threaten the integrity of public properties and facilities,” the judge stated.
Consequently, he ordered the first through fifth respondents to conduct the protest exclusively at the Moshood Abiola Stadium.
Furthermore, the court mandated that legal documents related to the case be served to the respondents via publication in newspapers.
The defendants in the case include Omoyele Sowore, Damilare Adenola, Adama Ukpabi, and Tosin Harsogba, along with unnamed individuals, the Inspector General of Police, the Commissioner of Police, the Director General of the State Security Service, the Director General of the Nigeria Civil Defense Corps, and the Chiefs of Army, Air, and Naval Staff, designated as respondents one through twelve.
