July 30, (THEWILL) – Justice Emmanuel Ogundare of the Lagos High Court has restricted participants of the planned nationwide #EndBadGovernance Protest in the State to the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota, and Peace Park in the Ketu area of Lagos between 8am and 6pm from August 1 to August 10, 2024.
The court also ordered security and traffic management support to the protesters at the approved designated parks.
The order follows a preemptive ex-parte application filed by the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, SAN.
Listed in the application as co-defendants are Adamma Ukpabi and Tosin Harsogba (for Active Citizens Group); Comrade Juwon Sanyaolu and Hassan Soweto (for Take it Back Movement); Persons unknown and Commissioner of Police, Lagos State.
Seeking to maintain and secure public safety and prevent irreparable loss of lives and property in the state during the period of the protests, Pedro argued that as the Chief Law Officer of the State and having been privy to notices by different interests who are for and against the nationwide protest, there is the need to protect the critical infrastructures of the state and prevent an irreparable loss of lives and property as witnessed during the EndSARS protest in 2020.
“In recognition of the citizens’ fundamental rights to stage 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 the 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 court is required in the circumstances so as to protect the fundamental rights of 1st to 5th Defendants/Respondents to protest and other residents opposed to the protest to go about their lawful businesses without harassment, disturbance and destruction of public buildings/properties,” he argued.
Granting his reliefs, the court held: “AN ORDER OF PRE-EMPTIVE REMEDY by way of interim injunction is hereby granted restraining the 1st to 5th 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 1-10 August 2024, excerpt 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 8am to 6pm, 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 6th Defendant to protect the fundamental rights of the 1st to 5th 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 Fawehinmi Freedom Park, Ikorodu Road Ojota, Lagos and Peace Park, Ketu Lagos from 8am to 6pm on August 1-10, 2024, 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 6th Defendant to provide security support and traffic management support to the 1st to 5th Defendants at the approved designated location for their proposed peaceful public protest, rallies and meetings in Lagos State, To wit: Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park, Ikorodu Road, Ojota, Lagos State and Peace Park Ketu Lagos from 8am to 6pm on 1st-10rh August 2024, pending compliance with the pre-action protocol by the Claimant.
“An Order of substituted service of the Order of this Court in this matter, the Memorandum of Claim/Letter of Claim and all other pre-action protocols documents on the 1st-5th Defendants/Respondents by Newspaper publication in a National daily to wit: any other widely read newspaper and the service shall be deemed as good and sufficient service on the Defendants/Respondents.”
