The Federal High Court judge who restricted the #EndBadGovernance protesters to the MKO Abiola Stadium shares his roots with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, as both hail from Obi Akpor Local Government Area in Rivers State.
According to Daily Trust, he has been identified as Justice Sylvanus C Oriji.
These details were revealed by Chidi Odinkalu, a Professor of Practice in International Human Rights Law at Tufts University’s Fletcher School, who pointed out the coincidence on social media.
Chidi tweeted:
“I didn’t really want to be the person saying it but the @fcthighcourt judge who gave the order to kettle #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protesters in the Moshood Abiola Stadium just happened to come from the same village as the Minister of the FCT, the plaintiff. Calculate the odds!”
Oriji’s ruling, delivered in response to an application from Wike, aimed to address concerns about potential disturbances during the protest.
Wike, citing security and intelligence reports, argued that some protest leaders might exploit the event to incite violence, vandalize property, and obstruct public access.
The minister’s request for an interim injunction sought to restrict the protesters from assembling in various public spaces in the Federal Capital Territory, and the court agreed to limit their activities to the stadium to balance their rights with public safety.
Despite the restriction, the protest continued at the designated location until clashes occurred between demonstrators, journalists, and security forces, including the Department of State Services and the police.
