CSOs set up situation room, unveil dedicated telephone lines

Ahead of the planned nationwide protest scheduled to begin on August 1, the Organised Civil Society has issued guidelines to protesters to ensure the success of the protest against hunger and hardship in the country.

The guidelines, according to a statement signed by the Head, Coordinating Secretariat of the United Action Front of Civil Society, Olawale Okunniyi on Wednesday, followed a meeting with the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

The group urged protesters to be civil and orderly, and not allow anyone to provoke or distract them, from the agenda of the protest. They also urged protesters to record with their phones in the event of any external aggression and send such recordings to the Civil Society Situation Room on Protests Ethics Monitoring.

Okunniyi also implored protesters not to go to the venues of the protests with sharp objects or weapons as any such person will be handed over to security agents.

The statement read in part, “Citizens participating in the protest rallies and processions are advised to be civil, orderly and focused and not allow anybody or forces to provoke or distract them from the agenda and goal of the protest, which is to compel government to end Hunger and Hardships in the country

“Protesters should endeavour to come out with their small pack of bottle of water and snacks if possible and should be smartly dressed. Protesters are advised not to come to protest ground with sharp, hard and violent objects or weapons as anybody seen with such objects and weapons shall be apprehended and handed over to security agents or protest monitoring team for prosecution.

“For help and support during the nationwide protests, citizens are enjoined to contact protest monitors at the situation room of the organised Civil Society via WhatsApp of the following hotlines: +23481-884-51511, +234 814 286 4904,+234 703 504 6101, +234 803 582 3617. Please note that the above hotlines are for WhatsApp messages only”.

The group also urged the government and its agents to “demobilise and caution those being recruited to threaten and intimidate peaceful Protesters to desist to avoid unnecessary clash and battle in the interest of peace and stability of Nigeria.”

He added that any such sponsored mobilisation against the protesters will “may lead to another unwanted riot in the mode of #EndSars debacle in Nigeria.”