The organisers have also written to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, requesting protection for the rally, stating that protest is a fundamental right that they will not surrender to any state agency.
According to Juwon Sanyaolu, Director of Mobilization of the Take It Back Movement, and Damilare Adenola, National Coordinator, mobilizing activities had started and Nigerians were gathering from all throughout the nation for the demonstration.
Nigeria will celebrate its 64th independence day on Tuesday, October 1, the day some Nigerian youngsters have chosen to protest the hardship caused by the elimination of gasoline subsidies and the depreciation of the currency.
As an alternative to the repression we have seen in the past, we have reminded the Inspector General of Police in writing of our demonstration locations and the police’s constitutional obligation to protect demonstrators, according to Sanyaolu.
The group clarified that while the Lagos demonstration would be conducted at the Ikeja under Bridge, the FCT protest would be staged at Eagle Square, the same location as the Independence Day procession. Only the “immediate reversal of fuel subsidy removal” would deter them from participating in the protest, according to the organizers, who also mentioned that it would take place across the nation.
The IG, Egbetokun, had directed the Force zonal and state commands to deploy men from Monday to strategic locations until a stand-down order was given.
Egbetokun also directed that the policemen should dress in camouflage with hats, even as he asked the Assistant Inspectors General of Police and Commissioners of Police to engage and discourage available civil society groups and individuals from participating in the protest.
The protest’s organizer, Omoyele Sowore, asserted that the event will proceed according to schedule and that the kids did not fear the police.
Sowore clarified that there was no truth to the rumors that some people were afraid there might be violence during the protest.
He then on, “Maybe you should ask the government that; nobody has expressed to us or anyone else that they’re afraid because they know we are not violent protestors.” Deji Adeyanju, the organizers’ attorney, claimed that it was improper for the police to call out protestors who were merely expressing their legal rights.
“The police do not have the right to summon protesters like they are currently doing. It is the responsibility of the police to protect the protesters anytime they embark on a demonstration. The protesters are not political parties; security agencies should not harass them,” he stated.
The counsel noted that the crackdown on #EndBadGovernance protesters in August was to discourage people from participating in further demonstrations in the country.
He, however, said the arrest and detention of some of the demonstrators would not deter youths from joining the #FearlessOctober1 protest.
Adeyanju said, “The government plans to discourage people from coming out to protest; that is why they are still detaining our comrades who participated in the August protest. But that will not dampen the morale of the youths on the #FearlessOctober protest.”
On his part, Adenola said the organisers would not be deterred by the deployment of security agencies.
He added that the #FearlessOctober1 demonstration was a continuation of the #Endbadgovernance protest, which took place in August, adding that the demonstration was necessitated by the failure of the Federal Government to address their demands.
He enumerated some of their demands, which included the repeal of the subsidy removal program, constitutional amendments, legislative reforms, and the unconditional release of demonstrators detained by the police.
Adenola said, “We are unperturbed by the threats issued by security agencies. What we have seen so far is that they (security agencies) don’t respect the rights of protesters; they may end up instigating violence against protesters.
However, we will continue to issue warnings to them to make sure they uphold the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s constitution’s provision of the right of individuals to voice their complaints.
We are also taking this chance to urge Nigerians to voice their complaints in public and without fear. The police and other security services will be afraid to confront demonstrators once we have a sufficient number of them on the ground.
The administration is asking people not to protest despite the hardships they are going through. It is only right that people voice their opposition to the suffering that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is causing,” Adenola stated.
Peluola Adewale, the secretary of the Democratic Socialist Movement, said that roughly eight civil society organizations will take part in the protest in Lagos State and declared that no intimidation or harassment from any security forces would put an end to it.
He declared that the rally in Lagos would be peaceful and cautioned the government against supporting thugs who would infiltrate real protesters during the events.
“We cannot rule out the fact that the government can sponsor violence to discredit the protest, but we want to warn them against that. People should not be deprived of their freedom of expression and assembly. Protest is our fundamental right, and we cannot surrender it to the police or anyone. We are not afraid of the police, DSS, or military,” he added.
Another leader of the protesters, Taiwo Hassan, said Nigerians had the right to freedom of expression and lawful assembly.
He said, “We are never going to submit our rights. Yes, you know many people might be afraid of what will happen if they are shot or what happens if they are arrested.
But increasingly as people are thinking of that, people are also realizing that our condition in this country is one between the devil and the deep blue sea. If you come out to protest, yes, maybe there is a chance that you might be arrested or you might be killed.
“But people also realize that even when you stay at home and don’t come out to protest, it doesn’t mean your life will be safe. Hunger is killing people right there in their bedroom. People are committing suicide and the state of insecurity means that none of us is safe.”
