#FearlessOctober1 Protest To Go Ahead Despite Police Warnings

The organizers of the #FearlessOctober1 protest have declared that neither the police, Department of State Services, nor the military will prevent them from proceeding with their planned demonstration.

The group has also sent a letter to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, requesting security for the event, emphasizing that peaceful protest is a fundamental right that they will not surrender to any state authority.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that as Nigeria prepares to celebrate its 64th Independence Day on Tuesday, October 1, some Nigerian youths have planned to protest against the hardships caused by the removal of fuel subsidies and the devaluation of the naira.

Juwon Sanyaolu, National Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement, and Damilare Adenola, the group’s Director of Mobilization, revealed that efforts to mobilize protesters are already underway, with participants coming from different parts of the country.

“We have officially informed the Inspector General of Police about our protest locations and reminded him of the constitutional duty of the police to protect peaceful protesters, rather than resorting to repression as we’ve seen in the past,” said Sanyaolu.

The group announced that the protest in Abuja would be held at Eagle Square, the same location as the Independence Day parade, while the Lagos protest will take place at Ikeja Under Bridge.

They added that protests would be held across the country, and only a reversal of the fuel subsidy removal would prevent the demonstrations from going forward.

In response, Inspector General Egbetokun has directed police zonal and state commands to deploy officers to key locations starting Monday, maintaining a presence until further notice. He instructed that officers dress in camouflage with hats and asked senior police officials to engage civil society groups to discourage participation in the protest.

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