The #EndBadGovernance protests in Ogun State on Thursday witnessed a low turnout, with few participants gathering at designated venues in Abeokuta and Ijebu-Ode.
Despite the anticipation, most residents in these areas continued their daily activities unaffected, while banks in Abeokuta remained closed.
Our correspondent, monitoring the events, reported that the Moshood Abiola International Stadium in Abeokuta—designated as a protest site—was nearly empty, with a significant presence of security personnel, including police, the Nigerian Army, and officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
This subdued response follows a directive from an Ogun State High Court, which limited protest activities to four specific locations within the state:
MKO Stadium in Abeokuta, Ansar-ud-Deen Comprehensive High School in Ota, Remo Divisional High School in Sagamu, and Dipo Dina Stadium in Ijebu-Ode. T
he court also restricted the protests’ timeframe to between 8 am and 5 pm.
Despite these restrictions, a small group of about 20 protesters arrived at the stadium around 11:20 am, carrying placards with messages such as “End bad governance in Nigeria,” “We are after peace and progress of Nigeria,” “Food inflation is killing us,” and “Dapo Abiodun fix Ogun State roads.”
They chanted anti-government slogans, expressing their frustrations and calling for an end to the economic hardships faced by Nigerians.
Olayemi Bolutife, one of the protesters, voiced the group’s concerns:
“We have the right to protest against whatever is not in the interest of Nigerians, and the truth is that people are suffering, people are hungry.
Our leaders should not turn the country into a palliatives country; that is what we are saying.
The President never promised to impose this great hardship on Nigerians.
Our leaders can’t continue to carry on as if all is well. We are suffering, and this is becoming too much.
The policies of the government must be tailored in such a way that life would be made easier for all, whether you are educated or not.”
The protesters arrived shortly after the Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, and the NSCDC Commandant, David Ojelabi, had left the stadium.
They did not enter the stadium but instead walked up and down in front of it, under the watchful eyes of the security personnel present.
Earlier, NSCDC Commandant David Ojelabi confirmed that about 20 protesters had also engaged in a peaceful demonstration along Ibadan Road in Ijebu-Ode.
He noted, “We have gone around the Abeokuta metropolis, and everywhere is calm; even shops that were not opened before are now opening for business.
Reports from both Ogun East and West Senatorial districts show that everywhere is peaceful, except in Ijebu-Ode where about 20 were said to be protesting peacefully.”
Commissioner of Police Abiodun Alamutu also assured that the state remained peaceful and that security agencies were working together to ensure public safety.
“Everywhere is calm, and you can see the presence of the security agencies on the ground.
We are all working hand-in-hand to provide security for all, so there’s no cause for alarm; everything is in order,” he stated.
Despite the peaceful atmosphere, some areas, like Ota, saw banks remaining closed and some shops not opening, possibly due to fear of potential unrest.
