On Sunday, the Nigeria Police Force justified its call for the names and other details of those planning to attend the next August countrywide #EndBadGovernance rally.
Muyiwa Adejobi, a force spokesman, stated that possessing such information is common protocol to guarantee the safety of all participants and avoid illegal activity.
Last Monday, the police demanded that peaceful protestors be protected, but many Nigerians, including campaigner Deji Adeyanju, rejected the stipulation.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Adejobi stated, “It is critical to highlight that the IGP has never rejected the constitutional right of every citizen to freedom of association and expression, but has consistently emphasised that the right is one of peaceful assembly and expression.
“Also, the Nigeria Police is responsible for ensuring that no action, including protests, endangers national security.
“In this regard, obtaining the contact information for protest organisers and leaders, as well as the schedules of their protests, including location, duration, routes, and so on, is a common procedure to promote effective communication, ensure the safety of all participants, and prevent any illegal acts.
“It is essential to know who is planning the assembly (protests) in each state as allowing faceless groups to operate unchecked could jeopardise the peace and stability of the country, and leave us with pains, sorrows and tears as experienced in the 2020 violent EndSARS Protests.”
The protest against economic hardship, which has gained pace on social media, is set to take place in all states of the Federation as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, in August. The protest organisers have not been identified.
Prices for food and essential goods have skyrocketed in recent months, as Nigerians grapple with one of the country’s highest inflation rates and economic crises, triggered by the government’s dual policies of removing petrol subsidies and unifying forex windows.
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