The organizers of the #FearlessOctober1 protest have firmly stated that neither the police, the Department of State Services (DSS), nor the military will stop them from going ahead with their planned demonstration on Nigeria’s 64th Independence Day, scheduled for Tuesday, October 1.
The protest aims to draw attention to the hardships Nigerians are facing due to the removal of fuel subsidies and the depreciation of the naira.
In anticipation of the demonstration, the organizers have written to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, requesting adequate security to protect participants. They emphasized that the right to protest is fundamental and that they will not be silenced by any attempts from state authorities to suppress their movement.
Juwon Sanyaolu, National Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement, and Damilare Adenola, Director of Mobilization, announced that they are actively organizing and rallying support from various regions across the country.
“We have notified the Inspector General of Police about our planned protest locations and reminded him that it is the duty of the police to safeguard protesters, not repress them, as has been the case in the past,” said Sanyaolu.
The protests are planned for major locations, including Eagle Square in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which is also the venue for the Independence Day celebration. In Lagos, the protest will take place under the Ikeja Bridge. The organizers made it clear that the only thing that would stop the protests is the immediate reversal of the removal of the fuel subsidy.
In response to the upcoming protest, Inspector General Egbetokun has directed police forces across different regions to deploy personnel to strategic areas starting Monday. Officers have also been instructed to wear camouflage and hats, while senior police officials have been advised to engage with civil society groups to discourage participation in the demonstrations.
