Organisers of the planned hardship nationwide protests, on Tuesday, rejected the proposal by Kayode Egbetokun, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), that demonstrations should be conducted in “confined spaces.”
They insisted that the protest would be a public march across the country.
This was following a meeting between the IGP, Femi Falana, a human rights lawyer, and Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, the lawyer representing the Take-It-Back Movement.
The meeting was convened following a letter from Adegboruwa on behalf of the Take-It-Back Movement to the IGP seeking police protection during the protest.
During the Zoom meeting, Egbetokun asked the protesters to hold the demonstration in confined venues, adding that open processions can be hijacked by hoodlums.
He further assured the organisers of the police commitment to protect the rights of all citizens and ensure all public gatherings are safe for everyone.
Egbetokun also asked them to engage with their respective state police commissioners to coordinate the protest.
Reacting, Adegboruwa said the designated venues stated in the letter to the IGP are mere points of convergence for the protesters.
“We will stick to the venues, which we have specified to the police, but those venues are only points of convergence. They are just places where we are to start the protest,” the human rights lawyer said.
The nationwide protest, with the theme ‘#EndBadGovernanceInNigeria’, is billed to start on August 1.
