The organizers of the #FearlessOctober1 protest have confirmed that their planned demonstration will go ahead as scheduled, with the primary location in Abuja at Eagle Square and another protest set for Ikeja Under Bridge in Lagos. Despite potential opposition from law enforcement agencies, including the police, DSS, and the military, the organizers insist on their constitutional right to protest and have written to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, requesting security during the event.
The protest, timed to coincide with Nigeria’s 64th Independence Day, is driven by the rising economic hardship following the removal of the fuel subsidy and the devaluation of the naira. The Take It Back Movement, represented by National Coordinator Juwon Sanyaolu and Director of Mobilisation Damilare Adenola, stated that Nigerians across the country are mobilizing for the protest.
The organizers have made it clear that only an immediate reversal of the fuel subsidy removal would stop the demonstration. In response, IGP Egbetokun has directed state police commands to deploy officers to strategic locations, instructing them to wear camouflage and urging civil society groups to be discouraged from participating in the protest. Despite these measures, leaders of the protest, including Omoyele Sowore and lawyer Deji Adeyanju, maintain that the youth are not afraid of police repression and that they are committed to a peaceful demonstration.
The protest is a continuation of the #EndBadGovernance movement, with demands such as the reversal of subsidy removal, constitutional amendments, legislative reform, and the release of detained protesters. Eight civil society groups are expected to join the Lagos protest, with participants warning the government against infiltrating the demonstration with hired thugs. The organizers remain firm in their stance that peaceful protest is a fundamental right and are calling on Nigerians to come out in large numbers to express their discontent with the government.
Meanwhile, in Katsina State, the police have assured protesters of safety and security, emphasizing their commitment to preventing any breakdown of law and order during the demonstration
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