A High Court in the Federal Capital Territory, led by Justice Sylvanus Oriji, has extended the order that limits participants in the #EndBadGovernance protest against the Federal Government to the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.
The extension was granted today following a request from Dr. Ogwu James Onoja SAN, representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike.
During the proceedings, all 11 defendants were absent and unrepresented by any legal counsel.
However, the FCT minister’s lawyer highlighted a statement made by Damilare Adenola, who warned that the nationwide protests might continue beyond the originally planned 10 days.
The lawyer argued that given the defendants’ absence and the uncertainty surrounding their next steps, extending the order was necessary to maintain peace in the FCT.
In a brief ruling, the judge approved the request and reaffirmed that the order issued on July 31, 2024, remains valid and in effect.
The judge also scheduled a hearing on the motion for August 22, 2024.
On July 31, Justice Oriji granted an ex-parte application from Onoja, on behalf of the FCT Minister, seeking an interim injunction to prevent the five leaders of the protest groups from gathering or displaying their presence along any roads, streets, offices, or public areas within the FCT from August 1 to August 10, or any subsequent day, until the motion is heard.
Additionally, an injunction was requested to empower security agencies to restrict the protesting leaders from gathering in those areas during the specified dates, pending the motion’s hearing.
The minister, while stating that the Federal Government does not oppose the protest, expressed concerns based on intelligence and security reports suggesting that some protest leaders may exploit the event to incite chaos and cause significant damage to public property, obstruct traffic, and disrupt public order.
