The Lagos High Court has barred protesters in Lagos from converging at any other location in the State except at the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota and Peace Park, Ketu.
Justice Emmanuel Ogundare issued the restriction following a preemptive ex-parte application filed by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro (SAN).
He said the application was to maintain and secure public safety and prevent irreparable loss of lives and property in the State.
The defendants/respondents are Adamma Ukpabi and Tosin Harsogba (for Active Citizens Group); Comrade Juwon Sanyaolu and Hassan Soweto (for Take it Back Movement); Persons unknown and the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State.
Moving the application, Pedro argued that as the Chief Law Officer of Lagos, and being privy to notices by different interests who are for and against the nationwide protest, there is a need to protect the critical infrastructure and prevent a recurrence of the violent and destructive #EndSARS protest in 2020.
According to Pedro, the police do not have sufficient manpower to provide security support for the protesters in all the local government councils, highways and other public areas, hence the need to restrict them to particular locations.
He argued that there was a need to prevent the protest from being hijacked by hoodlums poised to wreak havoc in the guise of protesting against alleged bad governance.
“In recognition of the citizens’ fundamental right to stage a 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 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 the court is required in the circumstances so as to protect the fundamental rights of first to fifth defendants/respondents to protest and other residents opposed to the protest to go about their lawful without harassment, disturbance and destruction of public buildings/properties.”
Justice Ogundare granted: “An order of pre-emptive remedy by way of interim injunction is hereby granted restraining the first to fifth 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 1st-10th August 2024 except 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 8 .00 am 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 sixth defendant (CP) to protect the fundamental rights of the first to fifth 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 Fawehinm 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.”
The court also ordered the police to provide security support and traffic management support to the protest organisers at the designated locations.
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