Organizers of the planned #EndBadGovernance demonstrations scheduled for August have rejected a proposal by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun for confined protests. During a meeting on Tuesday, the IGP suggested holding protests in designated areas and advised against street rallies, warning that others might plan violence in response to the demonstrations.
However, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), a lawyer representing the Take It Back Movement, one of the groups behind the nationwide protests, rejected the IGP's proposal. The virtual meeting was attended by human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), representatives from the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), other lawyers, civil society organizations, and key figures of the planned protests.
The protests, which are set to take place across all states and the capital, Abuja, in August, have gained significant traction on social media. They are a response to economic hardship, with prices of food and basic commodities soaring due to the government's policies of petrol subsidy removal and forex window unification. Despite warnings from the police, military, and Department of State Services against Kenya-style protests, and appeals from politicians fearing a repeat of the EndSARS demonstrations of October 2020, young people remain determined to proceed with the rallies.
On July 26, 2024, Adegboruwa had written to the IGP requesting police coverage for the protesters. The IGP responded on July 29, 2024, instructing senior police officers to attend to the request and subsequently requested a meeting with Adegboruwa in Abuja on July 30, 2024, to discuss further. Adegboruwa opted for a virtual meeting, involving Falana, members of the NBA, and others.
Adegboruwa outlined key locations for the protests, including Eagle Square in Abuja, Alausa Park in Lagos, Akpakpava Lane in Benin City, School of Agric in Bauchi, Rosewale Filling Station on Iwo Road in Ibadan, Maiduguri Roundabout opposite State Stadium in Damaturu, Rainbow Roundabout and Pantani Stadium in River, and Freedom Park in Osogbo.