Justice Sylvanus Oriji of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has extended the order restricting the ongoing hunger protest against the federal government to the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja. The extension, granted on Tuesday, followed an application by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Ogwu James Onoja, representing the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The decision was made in the absence of the eleven defendants, who neither appeared in court nor were represented by legal counsel. Onoja SAN cited a statement from protest leader Damilare Adenola, hinting that the protests could extend beyond the initially planned 10 days. The judge, concerned about potential disruptions to public order in the FCT, agreed to prolong the existing restrictions, affirming that the July 31 order remains in effect.
The court has scheduled August 22 for a hearing on the motion on notice. The original order, issued on July 31, had restrained the protest leaders from gathering or demonstrating outside the National Stadium from August 1 to August 10, following concerns raised by the FCT Minister about possible threats to public safety.
