Court restricts #EndBadGovernance protesters in Ogun

The Ogun State High Court, on Wednesday, ordered the sponsors of the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests to limit their activities to four locations in the state.

The locations are the MKO Stadium, Abeokuta; Ansar-ud-Deen Comprehensive High School, Ota; Remo Divisional High School, Sagamu; and Dipo Dina Stadium, Ijebu-Ode.

The court also restricted the time frame of the protests to between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Granting an application moved by the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade (SAN), Justice O. Ogunfowora directed that all protests under the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria slogan or any other slogan from 1 August to 10 August must be limited in place and time.

The judge prohibited the protesters from protesting anywhere in the state except at the MKO Stadium, Abeokuta; Ansar-ud-Deen Comprehensive High School, Ota; Remo Divisional High School, Sagamu; and Dipo Dina Stadium, Ijebu-Ode.

The Attorney-General explained that the four locations are across the four divisions of the state in the three senatorial districts, allowing protesters in those vicinities to conveniently participate in the protests under adequate protection and without infringing on the rights of non-protesting members of the public.

The judge, in his ruling, also prohibited any protest from taking place outside the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The judge further directed the Commissioner of Police in Ogun State to enforce the order and ensure that the protests are held only in the specified locations and during the periods stated in the order.

The judge declared that the order would last for seven days and ordered the state to serve the application on notice within that period.

Mr Ogunfowora shortened the time for the protesters to respond to the application to 72 hours.

The case was adjourned to 6 August.