August 1 protest: Provide security for protesters — Adegboruwa writes police, DSS

A human rights activist, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has notified the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Director of the Department of State Services, DSS, Yusuf Bichi, requesting protection over a planned protest by a group known as the Take It Back Movement.

In the letter dated July 26, 2024, the senior advocate wrote as a solicitor to the Take It Back Movement, notifying the security agencies that the protest would commence from August 1 to 10, 2024.

He said the rallies would be held at Eagle Square in Abuja and other public spaces in the capital cities of the 36 states and the headquarters of the 774 local government councils.

Adegboruwa urged the leadership of the security agencies to make available the details of any of their officers or teams that will be assigned to cover the said rallies and processions.

His request comes against the background of warnings from security agencies and groups over the planned protest. On Thursday, DSS cautioned against the demonstrations, saying it had identified the sponsors.

While DSS agreed on the citizens’ right to protest, it claimed that some elements planned to hijack it.

“The plotters desire to use the intended violent outcome to smear the federal and sub-national governments, make them unpopular and pit them against the masses,” DSS spokesman Peter Afunanya said in a statement.

“The long-term objective is to achieve a regime change, especially at the centre,” he added.

The protest advocates cited bad government and the continued hardship caused by rising core and food inflation, at 34.19 per cent and 40.87 per cent, respectively, as reasons for the dissatisfaction.

Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu, governors and ministers pleaded with Nigerians to halt the planned protest.

Speaking with traditional rulers, led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, on Thursday, Tinubu said, “Nigeria is on the path of recovery.”

The president identified the commencement of the student loan scheme, the N70,000 new minimum wage and the establishment of the consumer credit initiative as reasons Nigerians should not embark on the proposed protest.