A Senior lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa has hailed Nigerians for their courage in trooping en masse for the nationwide protest on Thursday, August 1, 2024.
It was reports that Nigerians from all walks of life trooped out in various parts of the country in response to the call for protests to #EndBadGovernance in the country.
They did this despite the threats, intimidation and harassment by authorities of the ruling government and their security apparatus.
“The people came out in their large numbers to speak against the suffering, hunger and poverty imposed on them by the administration of President Tinubu,” Adegboruwa noted in a statement
“I salute the courage and resilience of all Nigerians. Even those who could not make it to the streets stayed at home in form of civil disobedience. Most offices were shut, markets closed and the streets deserted, in solidarity with the protesters.”
He insisted that the protest has so far been largely peaceful, especially in Lagos and Abuja, even though there were pockets of skirmishes in some parts of the nation said to be due mainly to the provocation of the security agencies.
“Notwithstanding that, the protests were largely successful, well coordinated and on target,” he said
“I commend the organizers of the protests, for their maturity and peaceful management of the events. I also commend the press for being alert to their responsibilities to cover the events and to give accurate reporting to the people. This should continue.”
He appealed to all security and law enforcement agencies to follow acceptable standards of handling civil protests, in such a way as to avoid bloodshed or loss of lives.
“The responsibility imposed upon all security agencies is to provide coverage for the peaceful protesters and to avoid all provocative actions that may escalate into uncomfortable fracas,” he said.
Adegboruwa further appealed to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and all Governors who have procured various court orders to frustrate the peaceful protests to provide transportation by way of mass transit buses to assist citizens to exercise their fundamental rights.
“In addition, government should urgently identify and hold accountable any police or law enforcement officer that may have been found culpable to violate the rights of the peaceful protesters, especially in locations where it has been reported that protesters were wounded and shot dead.
“I urge the organizers of the nationwide protests to continue in the same peaceful manner that we have all witnessed today and to refrain from all actions that may lead to violence or a breakdown of law and order.
“By now, I expect that the federal and state governments would have set up the machineries for genuine and meaningful dialogue with the protesters, with a view to addressing the issues raised in their demands.
“It will be the height of leadership insensitivity for the governing to remain silent and pretend that all is well.”
