In what appears to be an intended friendly parley, the Inspector general of police, Kayode Egbetokun, has invited human rights lawyer Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa to a meeting at the force headquarters, Abuja.
Recall that Adegboruwa had in a letter addressed to the IGP urged the police authorities to provide police protection for protesters.
Nigerians would on August 1 commence a nationwide protest against hunger and bad governance.
The IGP, in a letter dated July 29, 2024, and signed by his principal staff officer, CP Johnson Ademola, directed senior police officers to attend to the request of the senior lawyer.
In the letter, the IGP requested to have a meeting with Adegboruwa in Abuja on Tuesday, July 30 “to deliberate further” on his request.
The letter reads: “I am to inform you that the Inspector General of Police has directed the Deputy Inspectors-General of Police (Operations and Intelligence), the Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs) in charge of Zonal Police Headquarters and the Commissioners of Police (CPs) in charge of State Commands across the country to attend to your request.
“I am to also inform you that the Inspector General of Police wishes to have a meeting with you at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, on Tuesday, 30th July, 2024 to deliberate further on your request,” CP Adenola said.
The police, military and the Department of State Service had warned against Kenya-styled protest.
Politicians, who fear that the planned rally might end up like the EndSARS demonstration of October 2020, have continue to appeal to youths to shelve the planned rallies but the young people remain unfazed, insisting that the protest will hold.
