The Ogun State government has secured a court order restricting the movements and activities of the #FearlessInOctober protesters in the state to only four enclosed locations from October 1 to 7, 2024.
The order was issued by Justice Tajudeen Okunsokan, of the Ogun State High Court, when on Monday he granted all the prayers made by the Attorney General of the state in an Ex-parte Motion filed before the court.
According to the Motion Ex-parte, the defendants are: Afolabi Adeboye; Ifemosu Michael; Lekan Abdulazeez Soneye (aka Las); Oduwole Awofeso; Boluwatife Olayemi (for themselves and for members and conveners of #FearlessInOctober protests in Ogun State); Bestman Okereafor (on behalf of the National Association of Nigerian Students); Thomas Kehinde (on behalf of the National Association of Nigerian Students); Yinka Folarin (on behalf of Committee for Defence of Human Rights, CDHR); Nicholas Elo (on behalf of Socialist Democratic Movement); Koyejo Morenikeji; Persons Unknown; Commissioners of Police, Ogun State.
The Attorney General of the State in the Motion Ex-parte brought before the court, prayed the court for “An Order of Interim Injunction pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction preventing the 1st – 12th Respondents from holding the proposed public protests scheduled for/from 1st October, 2024 under the #FearlessInOctober slogan or any slogan whatsoever in that period, except by converging on: MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta, Ogun State; Gateway International Stadium, Sagamu, Ogun State; Dipo Dina Stadium, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State; and Ansar-Ud-Deen Comprehensive High School Ota, Ogun State.
“An Order of Interim Injunction pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction preventing the 15th – 12th Respondents from holding the proposed public protests scheduled for/from 1st October, 2024 under the #FearlessInOctober slogan or any slogan whatsoever in that period, except during the hours of 8 am and 5 pm during the days on which such protests hold.
“An Order of Interim Injunction pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction directing the 13th Respondent to enforce Orders 1 and 2 above by ensuring that the #FearlessInOctober protests scheduled by 1st – 12th Respondents do not hold in Ogun State except at MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta, International Stadium, Sagamu, Dipo Dina Stadium Ijebu-Ode, and Ansar-Ud-Deen Comprehensive High School Ota and from the hours of 8 am to 5 pm during the period of the protests.”
In granting all the prayers of the Attorney General of the State as prayed, Justice Tajudeen Okunsokan, ordered that “The 1st – 12th Respondents are hereby restrained from holding the proposed public protests scheduled for/from 1st October, 2024 under the #FearlessInOctober slogan or any slogan whatsoever during that period except by converging between 8am and 5pm at the following places: MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta, Ogun State; Gateway International Stadium, Sagamu, Ogun State; Dipo Dina Stadium, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State; and Ansar-Ud-Deen Comprehensive High School, Ota, Ogun State.
“The 13th Respondent is hereby directed to enforce the Order of Interim Injunction granted above by ensuring that the #FearlessInOctober protests scheduled by the 1st – 12th Respondents do not hold in Ogun State except at MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta, Gateway International Stadium, Sagamu, Dipo Dina Stadium Ijebu-Ode and Ansar-Ud-Deen Comprehensive High School Ota between 8am and 5pm during the period of the protests.
“This Order shall inure for seven days as provided under Order 39 Rule 2(3) of the High Court of Ogun State (Civil Procedure) Rules 2014 and, as such, the Applicant is hereby ordered to ensure the service of the Motion on Notice on the Respondents in good time as time for the Respondents to respond to the Motion on Notice is hereby abridged to two days while the hearing of the Motion on Notice is fixed for 7th October, 2024.”
Reacting to the order, Soneye said, “Is it not questionable that in less than 48 hours of my return to the country, my name appears here. This suggests that I’ve been on the watch list even while I was out of the country.
“In any case, one of my reasons for coming back now is to lend my voice with Nigerians against the hardship in the country. This is something I have resolved to be part of in every reasonable sense as a citizen of Nigeria who wants a better Nigeria for all. We shall meet at the barricade tomorrow where we shall, again, demand for good governance.”
