Organisers of the #FearlessOctober1 protest have asserted that they will go ahead with the planned demonstration, despite potential opposition from the police, Department of State Services, and the military.
The organisers have also formally requested security from the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, stating that the right to protest is fundamental and non-negotiable.
The protest is scheduled to coincide with Nigeria’s 64th Independence Day on Tuesday, October 1, and aims to address the hardships caused by the removal of the fuel subsidy and the devaluation of the naira.
Juwon Sanyaolu, the National Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement, and Damilare Adenola, the group’s Director of Mobilisation, confirmed that preparations are underway, with participants coming from various parts of the country.
“We have also written to the Inspector General of Police to inform him of our protest locations and to remind him of the constitutional duty of the police to protect peaceful protesters, unlike the repression we have seen in the past,” Sanyaolu said.
The protest in the Federal Capital Territory will take place at Eagle Square, the same venue as the Independence Day parade, while a Lagos protest will be held at Ikeja Under Bridge.
The organisers emphasised that the demonstration would be held nationwide and that only the immediate reversal of the fuel subsidy removal would halt their plans.
