Lagos court extends protest restriction order

A Lagos High Court, at Tafawa Balewa Square, on Tuesday extended an earlier order restricting protesters in Lagos to conduct their activities only at the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park and Peace Park.

Justice S.I. Sonaike gave the order following an application filed by the Lagos State Attorney-General (AG), and the Commissioner for Justice, Mr Lawal Pedro (SAN), for an extension of the order.

The state AG had filed for an extension of the order after complying with the order of the court to ensure the safety of the protesters within the two locations ordered by the court.

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The state AG was represented in court by the Director for Civil Litigations, Mr. Hameed Oyenuga.

Oyenuga told the court that service of the earlier court order had been served on all the respondents in compliance with the pre-action protocols for preemptive reliefs sought by the AG against the representatives of the protesters.

He argued that though the respondents in the suit were yet to respond to the application, “there is the need to extend the earlier restriction order of the protest to two venues.

“This is to ensure that the state can continue to enjoy the relative peace being experienced despite the ongoing protests across the country.”

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In her ruling, Justice Sonaike said that she was satisfied with the AG’s compliance with the order of the other vacation judge, Justice Emmanuel Ogundare.

She therefore, ordered that the restriction of the protest to Freedom and Peace parks in the Ojota and Ketu areas of the state be extended until full compliance to the pre-action orders.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Ogundare had on July 30, while ruling on an expert application filed by the state AG, placed restrictions on the protesters.

The AG was seeking to secure public safety and prevent irreparable loss of lives and property in the state during the period of the protest.

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Defendants in the application are – Adamma Ukpabi and Tosin Harsogba (for Active Citizens Group), Comrade Juwon Sanyaolu and Hassan Soweto (for Take it Back Movement) and Commissioner of Police, Lagos State.