Abdulrahman, Wike get last-minute restriction orders against protest
Kwara Governor Abdulrahman Abdukrazak has obtained a court order to restrict protests to the Metropolitan Square in Ilorin, the capital of the state.
The state government said in its application that it was seeking the orders in the interest of the general public for a period of seven days, starting from August 1 to 7th. It also urged the court to order security agencies to provide adequate security during the protests and protect public infrastructure across the state.
After listening to the reliefs, Justice Jibril Salihu of the Kwara State High Court granted the orders.
In the same vein, Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has obtained a court order restricting would-be protesters to the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja.
Wike sued Omoyele Sowore, Damilare Adenola, Adama Ukpabi, Tosin Harsogba, and persons unknown as 1st to 5th defendants.
Equally joined to the suits as respondents are security agencies including the Department of State Security (DSS).
Apart from restricting protests to the single location, Wike asked the court to compel the security agencies to keep protestors away from roadsides, offices, public premises among other places.
The minister said the order was necessary as the security agencies had told him they lacked the resources to handle violence if any breaks out from the protests.
Wike also told the court that “protestor leadership members intended to take advantage of the planned demonstration to wreak havoc, irreversibly damage public infrastructure, obstruct traffic, disturb public order, and prevent people from moving about”.
After hearing the reliefs the minister’s lawyers presented, the judge Mr. Sylvanus Orji granted the order.
