The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed an application seeking an interim injunction to restrain protesters from continuing the #EndBadGovernance protests, which took place across the country from August 1 to 10. The presiding judge, Peter Lifu, on Monday, dismissed the ex parte motion filed by Danladi Goje, Buky Abayomi, Adiza Abbo, and 13 other Nigerians, who sought to prevent further demonstrations under the #EndBadGovernance banner.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The applicants, in their motion dated August 12, argued that their fundamental rights to life, personal liberty, private and family life, and economic activities were being infringed upon by the ongoing protests.
They specifically targeted various organizations and groups involved in the protests as respondents, including the Take It Back Movement, Concerned Nigerians, and Nigerians Against Hunger, among others.
The legal representatives for the applicants, led by Tsembelee Sorkaa, urged the court to issue a restraining order against the 19 respondents involved in organizing and participating in the protests.
Sorkaa argued that without such an injunction, the rights of his clients would continue to be violated.
However, in his ruling, Judge Lifu noted that the #EndBadGovernance protests had already concluded the previous week and that there was no evidence to suggest that the protesters intended to reconvene.
The judge criticized the applicants’ lawyer for rushing the ex parte notice without providing the necessary affidavit to support the requests for an interim injunction and substituted service.
Judge Lifu subsequently dismissed the application for lacking merit and adjourned the hearing on the motion on notice to August 29, 2024.
The #EndBadGovernance protests, which took place earlier in the month, saw Nigerians in various parts of the country taking to the streets to express their dissatisfaction with the state of governance and rising hunger.
In some regions, courts had granted interim injunctions restricting the protests to designated locations.
