Hundreds of policemen and security operatives have been deployed in major cities across the country as organisers of the #EndBadGovernance protest prepare for a one million-man march today, Saturday PUNCH has learned.
The protest, scheduled to last for 10 days and expected to climax today, has been marred by killings and attacks on protesters and journalists.
The nationwide protesters are demanding a reversal of the fuel subsidy removal, an increase in the minimum wage to N250,000, and an end to bad governance, among other issues.
Although the protest appeared to have lost steam in some parts of the country, momentum was sustained in states like Kano, Kaduna, Rivers, and Bauchi.
The organising groups threatened to lock down the entire country today (Saturday) to press home their demands, adding that President Bola Tinubu's Sunday speech was not convincing.
Tinubu had, in a televised statewide broadcast, begged the protesters to end the rallies, asking for patience to fix the country's problems.
However, the protesters, speaking to Saturday PUNCH, noted that they were mobilising the one-million-man march to climax the 10-day rally.
In a statement on Friday, the National Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement, Sanyaolu Juwon, said the August 10 protest would represent a pivotal moment in the nationwide #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria campaign.
He said, "The Take It Back Movement, along with other organisers and organisations, will lead a one-million-man protest in each of the 36 states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on August 10.
"This event will mark a critical juncture in our nationwide #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria campaign, which began on August 1, 2024.
"It started as a planned 10-day protest but has evolved into a sustained and widespread movement, drawing participants from every corner of Nigeria and the Diaspora."
Juwon also demanded the release of the protesters and organisers arrested by security agents.
He said, "On the troubling matter of unlawful arrests, we unequivocally condemn the detention of Michael Adaramoye (Lenin), Babatunde Oluajo, and others who were arrested on August 5, and on previous and subsequent days. Their continued imprisonment by the DSS and the police is a gross violation of their rights. We demand their immediate release and call for an end to these unjust detentions."
Increased surveillance
One of our correspondents, who toured the Business Central District area in the FCT, observed an increased presence of security agencies, who mounted roadblocks, slowing down vehicular movement.
In addition, our correspondent observed that the number of security operatives at Eagles Square had increased.
Speaking with our correspondent on the arrangement by security agents on Friday, Juwon said the increased presence of security agents and the recent clampdown on protesters would not affect the turnout on Saturday.
He said, "It's a nationwide one-million-man march. Aside from the fact that we are not prophets, Nigerians have also shown resilience in the face of violent state repression. So, I'd say, let's meet at the barricades."
Hundreds of policemen in Lagos
In Lagos, policemen were stationed around major bus stops, including Ojota, Ketu, Obalende, Berger, and other locations where it is believed the protest would take place.
Scores of policemen, led by Commissioner of Police Adegoke Fayoade, accompanied the protesters during a candlelight procession organised to mourn demonstrators who died during the rallies nationwide.
Our correspondent also saw soldiers from Operation Mesa, personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and other security agencies on the scene.
This is as the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria Organising Committee called on President Tinubu to compensate families of slain protesters.
The group claimed that more than 40 people lost their lives during the protest.
Recall that the committee, based at the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota, Lagos, had declared three days of mourning for those killed nationwide during the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protests.
In mourning the deceased protesters, the group held a symposium at the Rights House, Adeniyi Jones area, and a candlelight procession to the ShopRite area in Ikeja, amid heavy security presence.
Addressing the protesters, a member of the committee and National Spokesperson of the Youth Rights Campaign, Mr Hassan Taiwo, called on President Tinubu to compensate the families of the deceased protesters.
He also demanded the dismissal of the Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun.
"We are here in mourning and to honour all the protesters who lost their lives while protesting against the hardship. We blame Tinubu for what has happened and we are calling for the immediate sacking of the Inspector General of Police," he asserted.
Also, another activist, Akinola Foluso, stated that protest is a fundamental human right and as such, the people must not be intimidated for exercising it.
Earlier, some police officers deployed by the Lagos State Police Command stopped protesters from carrying out a candlelight procession to the Alausa area, as against their initial plan.
Tension in Kano
In Kano, men of the Nigeria Police Force, soldiers and NSCDC officials, take over several roads in preparation for the one-million-man march.
Saturday PUNCH, while monitoring the situation, observed several stern-looking security personnel patrolling some major streets in the commercial city, mostly from the ever-busy Ibrahim Taiwo Road to both BUK new sites.
Besides patrolling popular streets, there was also a huge security presence on France Road, a strategic artery in the Sabon Gari area of the metropolitan city, linking the popular Abubakar Rimi/Singer market.
Nigerians Protest Against Cost of Living
Following the hunger protest, which degenerated into violence and looting, traders at the Singer/Abubakar Rimi Market, engaged additional services to prevent the place from being looted by angry protesters.
As of the time of filing this report, there were reports of intermittent clashes between law enforcement agents and some protesters who insisted that they would begin the march from Friday.
As the protest raged, the spokesman of the Kano State Police Command, SP Abdullahi Haruna, told Saturday PUNCH that his life was being threatened for daring to arrest 322 protesters, who looted shops and the warehouse of the National Identity Management Agency.
Police take over Rivers state roads, parks
In Rivers, there was an increased presence of policemen at the Federal Secretariat and the Pleasure Park along Aba Road in Port Harcourt ahead of the one-million-man march.
However, the protesters did not gather on Friday at the two venues, which are the usual meeting points.
As our correspondent observed the area on Friday, scores of armed policemen were seen patrolling the area in their vans.
Saturday PUNCH gathered from several sources in the area that there would be a final showdown at the residence of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, the Government House, Pleasure Park, and major areas like Elelewon, Oyigbo, Rumuokoro, Choba, among others.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the development, adding that law-abiding citizens should go about their lawful business.
Iringe-Koko explained that although the deployment had been ongoing, the addition followed credible intelligence that some miscreants were planning to loot and disturb the peace of the state.
She said, "You know before this time we had restricted the protest to the Pleasure Park and Isaac Boro Park. But we got credible intelligence that some individuals are planning a one-million-man march tomorrow. And that some of them are planning to loot and cause security breaches.
"We are saying all genuine protesters should continue to use the two designated places. We will not allow anyone or group to try to loot, steal, or cause any security breach in the name of protest."
But the Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, told Saturday PUNCH that the police were not aware of the one-million-man march.
He said, "We are not aware of any one-million-man march. As we have seen the infiltration of criminally minded elements who have hijacked the protest, if we truly have the interest of the citizens at heart, we should avoid unnecessary gatherings."
Also speaking, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Buba Edward, said the military would be involved at the invitation of the police. He stated, "The military only gets involved at the invitation of the police. We will remain on standby until invited by the police."
Group demands release of protesters
Meanwhile, a coalition of 20 civil society organisations has called on security agencies to release all protesters detained since the #EndBadGovernance protest began. At a press conference on Friday in Abuja, the National Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties, who also serves as the group's coordinator, Peter Ameh, alleged that security forces had been secretly arresting protest leaders from different parts of the country.
He disclosed that many individuals connected to the protest were detained by security agents. Ameh expressed concern that the current administration had militarised the civil space because citizens demanded necessities, including an end to hunger, a reduction in the cost of living, and a decrease in wasteful government spending.
He stated, "The 1999 Constitution, as amended, protects our inalienable rights, including the right to protest. According to the constitution, one should not be held without being charged in court for more than 48 hours. Yet, people like Alhaji Khand Aminu remain in detention without charges, languishing in SSS custody in Kaduna."
"This is unacceptable! Nigeria may be a lawless place, but our fundamental rights will not be taken away from us. We demand that all those detained in connection to the ongoing protest be released with immediate effect; otherwise, President Tinubu should be ready to arrest all of us."
Opposition urges Tinubu to reevaluate policies
Opposition political parties in Nigeria, under the aegis of the Coalition of United Political Parties, the National Youth Council of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Political Science Association, urged President Bola Tinubu to reevaluate his policies to address the demands of the protesters.
The CUPP National spokesperson, Mark Adebayo, lamented that the presidency mismanaged the #EndBadGovernance and hunger protests due to a lack of proactive ideas and necessary actions to forestall the accompanying carnage.
Adebayo, in an exclusive interview with Saturday PUNCH, noted that a truly concerned, patriotic, and competent president would have immediately sprung into action by first addressing the nation.
He stated, "The lives that were lost were a needless tragedy; the property destroyed was avoidable, and the huge economic losses were preventable. But we have a president who is too far removed from the realities of his people's suffering to care.
"His address after the bloodshed and losses was nondescript, ineffectual, uninspiring, demeaning, and hope-crushing. President Tinubu was prepared to be president but never prepared to govern."
The NYCN President, Sukubo Sara-Igbe, pointed out that the challenges faced by Nigerians did not originate with the current administration, but there was an expectation for President Tinubu to tackle the issues. Sara-Igbe urged protesters to prioritize the country's stability and peace, advocating for a move towards dialogue.
The NPSA President, Professor Hassan Saliu, observed that the external factors involved in the protest indicated that the situation was escalating. In an interview with one of our correspondents, Saliu emphasized the need for a careful approach, noting that while the beginning of a conflict could be known, its outcome remained uncertain.
Opposition parties condemn use of live ammunition
Opposition parties in the country have openly denounced the continued use of lethal force to intimidate and disperse civilians during peaceful demonstrations.
The opposition vented their anger and frustrations in separate interviews with our correspondent.
Their fear comes on the heels of the recent killing of a 16-year-old protester in the Samaru community, Zaria, Kaduna State. The teenager was identified as Ismail Mohammed.
The incident occurred when troops of the Nigerian Army received a distress call to help disperse some hoodlums who were burning tyres and attacking security personnel in Samaru.
The mob had attempted to attack the troops, an action that led the soldiers to fire a warning shot to scare the hoodlums away. However, the bullet hit Mohammed, leading to his death. No fewer than 17 persons have so far been reported dead in Abuja, Kano, Niger, Borno, Kaduna, and Jigawa during the #EndBadGovernance protest, which was held across the country.
The rally began peacefully but took a violent turn in some cities, leading to violent confrontations between the police and the protesters.
In Abuja, the demonstration also claimed a victim who was shot dead along the Kubwa expressway. Reacting to the high number of casualties recorded at the ongoing #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ibrahim Abdullahi, raised the alarm that the country is gradually sliding into dictatorship.
Abdullahi insisted that the bloodletting and intimidation of peaceful protesters could have been averted had Nigerians heeded their warning against voting in the current administration.
He said, "We have been warning that these people, in their desperation to ensure they gag Nigerians through silencing of the voices of dissent and deployment of the instrument of coercion against citizens innocently protesting, are sliding into raw dictatorship."
Yunusa Tanko, the chief spokesman of Labour Party presidential flag bearer Peter Obi, shared the same sentiment. Tanko further vented his anger over the killing of the Kaduna teenager, saying he was a familiar face in Samaru.
"That teenager was shot right here in my area, Samaru community. I was there. It was not as if it happened in my presence but I was a distance away from the house where it occurred," Tanko said.
Operatives may deploy arms if lives are threatened - APC
Meanwhile, the ruling All Progressives Congress has called for restraint. In an interview with Saturday PUNCH, the National Publicity Director of the APC, Bala Ibrahim, disclosed that while the introduction of live ammunition at protest grounds is condemnable, life-threatening circumstances might warrant the operatives to introduce them at some points.
He said, "That is wrong. In a peaceful demonstration, the use of lethal force is not allowed. However, the word 'peaceful' must be respected. If the protest turns violent and security agents are being attacked, they have a right to protect themselves. The operatives have the right to use reasonable and reciprocal force.
"For instance, if someone attacks you with an AK-47, you can use arms that are equivalent in force to save yourself and others. If the protest is peaceful, lethal weapons have no place. But when they become life-threatening, the narratives will change."
Hundreds of protesters still in detention - Adeyanju
Meanwhile, lawyer and human rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, has disclosed that hundreds of the scheduled #EndBadGovernance protesters are still being detained across the country by the Nigeria Police Force.
Adeyanju, who serves as legal adviser to the protesters, also added that the police had charged some of the protesters in court but said the legal team was yet to receive the charge sheet since the detained protesters were being charged all over the country, stating that efforts were ongoing to secure the release of the protesters.
Protest over, citizens have embraced dialogue - Lagos
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government has dismissed insinuations that the #EndBadGovernance protest would erupt on Saturday (today). The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, stated this during a phone interview with Saturday PUNCH on Friday.
He pointed out that the Governance Advisory Council had visited Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Friday and lauded what they called "mature leadership" which has prevented the state from descending into chaos during the protest.
He said, "The protest in Lagos has been peaceful so far, and it is over in Lagos. Lagosians have embraced peace and dialogue, and the governor has opened up engagement channels for protesters to dialogue."
"The state has provided phone numbers through the Ministry of Information, the Ministry of Youth and Social Development, and the Office of Civic Engagement. We have been receiving calls from citizens and there has been fruitful dialogue, so there is no more protest in Lagos.
"Today, the GAC, led by their chairman, Tajudeen Olusi, paid a solidarity visit to Mr. Governor at the State House and commended the way our governor handled the recent expression of grievances through the protests. He has demonstrated mature leadership. The good people of the state have chosen peace."
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