As Nigeria prepares to mark its 64th independence anniversary on October 1, 2024, tension is building in Lagos and other parts of the country over a planned protest. The protest, organized by several groups under the banner of “FearlessInOctober,” aims to highlight concerns about bad governance, economic hardship, and hunger across the nation.
In response to the planned demonstration, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olanrewaju Ishola, took proactive steps by meeting with key stakeholders and security agencies. The meeting was held at the police headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos, as part of efforts to ensure the protest remains peaceful and does not escalate into violence.
A video shared by the Lagos Police Command on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, September 27, 2024, showed highlights of the meeting. In attendance were representatives from various civil society groups, community leaders, and security personnel.
Among the key figures invited to the discussion was Hassan Taiwo, the National Coordinator of the Education Rights Campaign (ERC) and one of the leading organizers of the protest in Lagos. Taiwo’s presence at the meeting underscores the importance the police place on engaging with protest leaders to ensure that any public demonstration is peaceful.
Meanwhile, in Oyo State, the police also made efforts to engage protest organizers. The Oyo State Chairman of the African Action Congress (AAC), Kayode Babayomi, was invited to a “peace meeting” just a day after his party publicly declared support for the October 1 protest. The meeting is scheduled for Saturday, September 28, 2024, and was confirmed in an official letter signed by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Martins Bamigboye, from the State Intelligence Department.
The letter, seen by reporters, stated: “The Oyo State Police Command, in line with its constitutional security responsibilities, is committed to excellence in achieving a safe and secure environment for peaceful coexistence in the state.”
The October 1 protest, organized by groups such as the Education Rights Campaign and the Take It Back Movement, comes on the heels of a nationwide rally held in August 2024. Protesters had previously marched against what they described as “anti-poor policies” and demanded urgent action to address issues such as economic mismanagement and widespread hunger. Despite the large-scale demonstration, protest leaders claim that the government has yet to meet any of their demands.
“We believe October 1 should be a day for all suffering Nigerians to unite and fight for survival by demanding an end to these anti-poor policies,” the organizers stated in a press release on Thursday.
