The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, faced significant pressure and, on Monday, instructed senior police officials to ensure the safety of participants in the planned #EndBadGovernance protest set for August 1-10, 2024.
Initially, the IGP had asked for the names and details of the participants as a condition for providing protection, but this was met with strong opposition from Nigerians. The police claimed that gathering such information was standard procedure to ensure everyone’s safety and prevent illegal activities.
However, in a letter to human rights lawyer Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa on Monday, the IGP changed his stance and ordered police commanders to protect the protesters across the country.
Adegboruwa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), had written to the IGP on July 26, 2024, requesting police protection for the protesters on behalf of the Take It Back Movement, one of the groups organizing the protest.
In his response dated July 29, 2024, the IGP instructed senior police officers to honor Adegboruwa’s request. This response was signed by Egbetokun’s Principal Staff Officer, CP Johnson Adenola. Additionally, the IGP requested a meeting with Adegboruwa in Abuja on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, to discuss the matter further.
“I am to inform you that the Inspector General of Police has directed the Deputy Inspectors-General of Police (Operations and Intelligence), the Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs) in charge of Zonal Police Headquarters, and the Commissioners of Police (CPs) in charge of State Commands across the country to attend to your request.
“I am also to inform you that the Inspector General of Police wishes to have a meeting with you at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, on Tuesday, 30th July 2024 to deliberate further on your request,” CP Adenola stated.
There have been warnings from the police, military, and the Department of State Services against protests similar to those seen in Kenya. Some politicians, fearing a repeat of the EndSARS protests of October 2020, have urged youths to cancel the rallies. However, the youths are determined to proceed with the protest, which is scheduled to take place in all states of the Federation and the nation’s capital in August.
This protest, driven by economic hardship and rising prices of food and basic commodities, is gaining significant support on social media. Nigeria is currently experiencing one of its worst inflation rates and economic crises due to the government’s removal of the petrol subsidy and the unification of forex windows. In a follow-up statement, the IGP called on the youths to “cooperate with the police to ensure that any forthcoming protests are peaceful and orderly.”
He reaffirmed the police’s commitment to protecting citizens’ rights while maintaining law and order. “There are enough lessons to learn from previous violent protests in Nigeria,” the IGP said in a statement by Force spokesman Muyiwa Adejobi.
The IGP emphasized the right to protest peacefully and urged all Nigerians to exercise this right responsibly, avoiding actions that could lead to violence. Peaceful protests, he noted, are a powerful way to express grievances and drive change without risking lives and properties.
