A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has restricted participants in the August 1 hunger protest against the federal government to the MKO Abiola stadium, also known as the National Stadium.
The court’s decision comes after the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike filed an application through his lawyer, Chief Ogwu James Onoja, SAN, seeking to restrain the protesters from carrying out their planned demonstration, between August 1 to August 10, He said intelligence and security reports had suggested that some elements within the leadership of the protesters intended to cause havoc and irreparable damages to public facilities, block roadways, and disturb public peace.
The respondents in the suit, including Omoyele Sowore, Damilare Adenola, Adama Ukpabi, Tosin Harsogba, and others, were ordered to use the Moshood Abiola Stadium only for the protest.
In his ruling on Wednesday, Justice Sylvanus Oriji emphasized the need to balance the rights of the protesters with the need to maintain public order and safety. The court also ordered the service of processes in the suit and the confinement order on the respondents by placing the same on newspapers.
“In the light of the above, the court considers it appropriate and expedient to grant an order under the omnibus or general prayer to ensure that the rights of the protesters are guaranteed and that the protest does not negatively or adversely affect the rights of other citizens to move about and to ensure that that properties and other public facilities are not destroyed,” the judge held.
