Wike Wins as Court Bar Abuja Protesters From The Streets

• FCT minister Nyesom Wike has finally secured a court conviction to bar protesters from using Eagles Square on Thursday
• The FCT High Court issued an order preventing the protesters from marching on the streets of Abuja on August 1, directing them to hold their demonstration specifically at the MKO Abiola Stadium
• Justice Sylvanus Chinedu Oriji gave the order on Wednesday, July 31, a day after an Abuja campaigner dared Wike and told him that protesters would use the venue for the hunger protest on August 1, with or without his permission

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja has barred protesters from marching on the streets of the nation’s capital.

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Abuja protesters restricted, to use only "MKO Abiola Stadium"

In a ruling in an ex-parte application brought before him by Nyesom Wike, the FCT minister, Justice Sylvanus Chinedu Oriji, on Wednesday, July 31, restricted participants in the proposed #EndBadGovernance protest from the streets.

The protesters had asked the minister to give them access to Eagle Square but Wike asked them to follow due process.

However, the protesters vowed to make use of the facility with or without approval from the authorities.

In his ruling on Wednesday, the judge held that the protest should hold at the MKO Abiola stadium, also known as the National Stadium, Daily Trust reported.

The judge ruled that:

“Leave is granted to the claimant/applicant (FCT Minister) to serve the originating processes (writ of summons) and all subsequent processes in this suit on the defendants/respondents by substituted means to wit: through newspaper publications and print media.

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“The 1st Defendants/Respondents, while embarking on the planned protest from 1/8/2024 to 10/8/2024 in exercise of their constitutional rights are to use the Moshood Abiola Stadium in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja only and are restrained by an order of interim injunction from gathering in any other place pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”

Protest: Police take over national assembly, Eagles Square

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the federal government have deployed security operatives to the national assembly and the Eagles ahead of the planned nationwide protests.

The Security operatives including police and the military have taken over the two national monuments at the nation's capital.

It was gathered that staff members and visitors trying to enter the complex were thoroughly checked by the officers at the entrance.

Source: Legit.ng