Hunger Protest: CSOs Set Up Situation Room, Launch Emergency Hotlines

As the nationwide hunger protest set for August 1 approaches, the Organised Civil Society has issued a set of guidelines aimed at ensuring the peaceful and effective execution of the demonstration against rising hunger and hardship in the country.

According to a statement released on Wednesday by Olawale Okunniyi, Head of the Coordinating Secretariat for the United Action Front of Civil Society, these guidelines were developed following a meeting with the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

The group emphasized the importance of civility and orderliness during the protest, urging participants to remain focused on the protest’s primary objectives. They encouraged protesters to record any incidents of external aggression using their phones and to forward these recordings to the Civil Society Situation Room for Protests Ethics Monitoring.

Additionally, Okunniyi cautioned protesters against bringing sharp objects or weapons to the protest sites, warning that anyone found with such items would be handed over to security forces.

The statement included the following directives: “Citizens participating in the protest rallies and processions are advised to be civil, orderly, and focused, and to avoid being provoked or distracted from the protest’s agenda, which is to compel the government to address the issues of hunger and hardship in the country.”

“Protesters are advised to bring a small bottle of water and snacks if possible, and to dress appropriately. They should not come to the protest grounds with sharp, hard, or violent objects or weapons. Anyone seen with such items will be apprehended and handed over to security agents or the protest monitoring team for prosecution.”

For assistance during the protests, the statement provided several dedicated WhatsApp hotlines for contacting protest monitors at the Civil Society Situation Room: +23481-884-51511, +234 814 286 4904, +234 703 504 6101, and +234 803 582 3617. It was noted that these numbers are for WhatsApp messages only.

The group also called on the government and its agents to refrain from recruiting individuals to intimidate or threaten peaceful protesters, warning that such actions could escalate tensions and lead to unnecessary conflict. Okunniyi cautioned that any such mobilization against protesters could spark unrest similar to the #EndSARS protests that took place in Nigeria.

The situation room and hotlines are part of the broader effort by civil society groups to monitor the protests and ensure they remain peaceful while holding the government accountable for the worsening conditions in the country.