Court Dismisses Application To Restrain #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria Protesters

By Kingnaafrika - August 12, 2024

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed an application seeking an order of interim injunction restraining Nigerian protesters under different platforms from continuing with the ongoing protests using the hashtags #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria ¹.

Messrs Danladi Goje, Buky Abayomi, Adiza Abbo, and thirteen other Nigerians filed the motion ex-parte seeking the enforcement of their fundamental rights against the organizations involved with the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests.

The applicants had filed the motion against organizations such as: Take It Back Movement, Concerned Nigerians, Nigerians Against Hunger, Initiative for Change, Human Rights Co-advocacy Initiative, Nigerian Against Corruption Initiative, Citizens for Change Advocacy Initiative, and Timely Intervention as 1st to 8th respondents.

Others sued were Active Citizens Group, Students for Change, We Coalition, Total Intervention, Refurbished Nigeria, Tomorrow Today, Our Future in Our Hands Initiative, Youths Against Tyranny, Save Nigeria Movement, Omoyele Sowore, and Social Democratic Party (SDP) as the 9th to 19th respondents.

The rest are the Attorney General of the Federation and security agencies.

The applicants’ lawyer, Tsembelee Sorkaa, argued that the ongoing protest in Nigeria organized by the 1st to 19th respondents using the hashtag #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria could breach the right to life, personal liberty, private and family life, movement, property, and economic development of his clients.

He cited the 2020 #EndSARS protests, which led to the deaths of innocent Nigerians and massive looting and destruction of properties in Nigeria.

Justice Lifu ruled that the protest in question had already ended last week, and there was no evidence presented that the protesters would reconvene later. The court dismissed the application, stating that it lacked merit. The hearing on the motion on notice is adjourned to August 29, 2024.