THE Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has instructed senior police officials to ensure the safety of participants in the upcoming #EndBadGovernance protest scheduled for August 1 to 10, 2024.
This directive was communicated in a letter from the IGP in response to a request made by human rights lawyer Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa.
Adegboruwa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), had written to the IGP on July 26, 2024, seeking police protection for the protesters on behalf of the Take It Back Movement, one of the organizing groups for the #EndBadGovernance protest in August.
In his reply, dated July 29, 2024, the IGP directed senior police officers to take action on Adegboruwa’s request.
Egbetokun’s response was signed by his Principal Staff Officer, CP Johnson Adenola.
Additionally, the IGP expressed a desire to meet with Adegboruwa in Abuja tomorrow, July 30, 2024, “to discuss the request further.”
“I wish to inform you that the Inspector General of Police has instructed the Deputy Inspectors-General of Police (Operations and Intelligence), the Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs) overseeing Zonal Police Headquarters, and the Commissioners of Police (CPs) responsible for State Commands nationwide to address your request.
“I also wish to inform you that the Inspector General of Police would like to meet with you at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, to discuss your request in more detail,” CP Adenola stated.
There have been warnings from the police, military, and the Department of State Services regarding a protest modeled after those in Kenya.
Politicians have speculated that the planned demonstration might mirror the EndSARS protests of October 2020, urging young people to reconsider their participation. Despite these appeals, youth remain resolute, determined to proceed with the protest.
The protest, which is gaining momentum on social media, is set to take place in all states across the Federation and the nation’s capital in August, highlighting widespread discontent over economic hardship.
Skyrocketing prices for food and essential goods have left many Nigerians struggling, as the country grapples with one of its worst inflation periods, exacerbated by the government’s dual policies of removing the petrol subsidy and unifying foreign exchange rates.
