The police in Abuja, the federal capital territory (FCT), has warned that there will be serious consequences if protesters refuse to move into the Moshood Abiola Stadium to protest.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the police gave the protesters an ultimatum of three hours to comply and move inside the national stadium or face severe consequences.
Protesters had gathered at the front of the national stadium gate, along Independent Avenue on Thursday to take part in the nationwide protest.
However, CP Ben Igweh said to implement an order of an FCT High Court restricting the protest to the MKO Abiola Stadium, protesters must move inside the main bowl of the stadium to protest or face severe consequences.
Speaking with newsmen at the entrance into the stadium, CP Igweh stressed that the court order must be obeyed.
“We have a court order on substituted service. Barrister Adeyanju Deji is leading them. The court order has it that protesters should protest inside the stadium.
“We also requested that each group that wants to protest should come to the police. No group has notified the police. We only came here to see some people here and we said for the fact that you have not notified us and you want to protest, follow the court order, which Deji Adeyanju is aware of.
“The order said protest inside the stadium. We are not stopping anybody from protesting, but look at how they are blocking the express road.
“We said no because where their rights stop, that is where another person’s own starts. Because as they infringing on the rights of people, its not good. They are equally trampling on people’s right on passage.
“That is why we say no; they should enter inside the stadium, where the court has given order. Protesters have three hours to move inside the stadium. If they breach the court order, there will be consequences,” Igweh said.
Reacting, Barrister Adeyanju said: “The protesters are at the stadium. The court order said national stadium. They have refused to allow us to go to Eagle Square. The court order said national stadium. We are at the stadium. We are not at Eagle Square.
“If they want use to go in, they should come to carry us in. We refused to go to Eagle Square because if we do that, we will be disobeying the court order.
“Before the CP came, here has been peaceful. But with the CP’s presence, the atmosphere is charged. My appeal to the police is that they should not take steps that will make the protest degenerate”.
Recall that an FCT High Court had restricted participants in the August 1 protest to the MKO Abiola Stadium, also known as National Stadium.
Justice Sylvanus Oriji issued the order on Wednesday in Abuja while ruling in an ex-parte application brought before him by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.