Justice Emmanuel Ogundare of the Lagos State Excessive Court docket sitting in Ikeja on Tuesday, restricted organisers and some other individuals in Lagos, participating within the proposed August 1 nationwide anti-hunger protest, to the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota and Peace Park within the Ketu space of the state.
Justice Ogundare gave the order after listening to an ex-parte software filed by the Lagos State Lawyer-Common and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro (SAN), looking for to keep up and safe public security and forestall irreparable lack of lives and property within the state throughout the interval of the protests.
Joined as co-defendants within the go well with are Adamma Ukpabi and Tosin Harsogba (for Energetic Residents Group); Comrade Juwon Sanyaolu and Hassan Soweto (for Take it Again Motion); Individuals unknown and Commissioner of Police, Lagos State.
Pedro had argued in his software that because the Chief Regulation Officer of the State and having been aware about notices by completely different pursuits who’re for and towards the nationwide protest, there may be the necessity to shield the crucial infrastructures of the state and forestall irreparable lack of lives and property as witnessed throughout the #EndSARS protest in 2020.
Pedro maintained that the Police within the state would not have ample manpower to supply safety assist for the protesters who deliberate to protest in all of the native authorities councils and public highways and different areas of public entry within the state.
The AG additionally submitted that there’s a want to stop the protest from being hijacked by hoodlums who’re ready to breach regulation and order and trigger destruction in numerous areas within the state beneath the pretext of public protest towards alleged unhealthy governance.
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He acknowledged, “In recognition of the residents’ basic proper to stage public protest towards authorities insurance policies and actions, however stop illegal destruction of lives and properties within the course of, the Lagos State authorities has designated two public areas and areas within the State the place residents can meet and converge to protest or specific their displeasure towards authorities. The areas are Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park, Ojota, Lagos State and Peace Park, Ketu, Lagos State.
“Public protest in all of the native authorities councils and public highways in addition to different areas of public entry within the State for 10 days is a deliberate plan to close down the State and if that is allowed, it would quantity to financial sabotage.
“An order of court docket is required within the circumstances in order to guard the elemental rights of 1st to fifth Defendants/Respondents to protest and different residents against the protest to go about their lawful with out harassment, disturbance and destruction of public buildings/properties.”
In a bench ruling, Justice Ogundare granted all of the reliefs sought within the software.
The choose held, “An order of pre-emptive treatment by the use of interim injunction is hereby granted restraining the primary to fifth Defendants/Respondents whether or not by themselves, their brokers, privies, servants or some other individual(s) performing by means of them from converging and finishing up their proposed peaceable public protest, rallies, procession and conferences in Lagos State from the 1-10″ August 1-10, 2024 besides within the accredited designated location for peaceable public protest, rallies and conferences, to wit: Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park, Ikorodu Street, 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 treatment by the use of interim preservative order is hereby granted directing the sixth Defendant to guard the elemental rights of the primary to fifth Defendants/Respondents to freedom of affiliation, peaceable public protest, procession and tallies within the accredited designated location for peaceable public protest, rallies and conferences in Lagos State, To wit: Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park, Ikorodu Street 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.
“An order of pre-emptive treatment by the use of interim preservative order is hereby granted directing the sixth Defendant to supply safety assist and site visitors administration assist to the primary to fifth Defendants on the accredited designated location for his or her proposed peaceable public protest, rallies and conferences in Lagos State, To wit: Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park, Ikorodu Street, Ojota, Lagos State and Peace Park Ketu Lagos from 8am to 6pm on 1st -Tenth August, 2024 pending compliance with the pre-action protocol by the Claimant.
“An Order of substituted service of the Order of this Court docket on this matter, the Memorandum of Declare/Letter of Declare and all different pre motion protocols paperwork on the primary to the fifth Defendants/Respondents by Newspaper publication in a Nationwide day by day to wit: some other broadly learn newspaper and the service shall be deemed pretty much as good and ample service on the Defendants/Respondents,” the choose dominated.
