Ogun State Government Obtains Court Injunction to Limit #FearlessInOctober Protesters to Four Locations
The Ogun State government has obtained a court order restricting the movements and activities of the #FearlessInOctober protesters to only four designated locations from October 1 to 7, 2024.
The order was granted by Justice Tajudeen Okunsokan of the Ogun State High Court, following an Ex-parte Motion filed by the Attorney General of the state. The motion was heard on Monday, and all the prayers made by the Attorney General were approved.
The defendants listed in the motion include Afolabi Adeboye, Ifemosu Michael, Lekan Abdulazeez Soneye (also known as Las), Oduwole Awofeso, Boluwatife Olayemi, and several other individuals and organizations such as the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), the Committee for Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), and the Socialist Democratic Movement. The motion also named the Ogun State Commissioner of Police and “Persons Unknown.”
The Attorney General requested the court to issue an interim injunction that prevents the defendants from organizing public protests under the #FearlessInOctober slogan between October 1 and 7, except in four specified locations: MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta, Gateway International Stadium in Sagamu, Dipo Dina Stadium in Ijebu-Ode, and Ansar-Ud-Deen Comprehensive High School in Ota. Additionally, the court order restricts the protests to the hours of 8 AM to 5 PM during the designated days.
This interim order is set to last for seven days, as outlined under Order 39 Rule 2(3) of the Ogun State High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2014. The court also directed that the respondents be served with the Motion on Notice, with their response time shortened to two days. The hearing for the Motion on Notice is scheduled for October 7, 2024.
Reacting to the court order, one of the defendants, Lekan Abdulazeez Soneye, expressed concern over his inclusion in the case. He remarked, “Is it not questionable that in less than 48 hours of my return to the country, my name appears here? This suggests that I’ve been on the watch list even while I was out of the country.”
He further added, “One of my reasons for coming back is to lend my voice against the hardship in the country. This is something I am committed to as a citizen who wants a better Nigeria for all. We shall meet at the barricade tomorrow where we will, once again, demand good governance.”
