By 
By Abdul Kayode
It was a peaceful atmosphere in Ilorin, Kwara State capital on Thursday, August 1st despite all the fear and anxiety that preceded the highly pronounced ten days hunger and hard economic protest scheduled to commence.
However, at around 12 pm of filing this report by our Correspondent, many of the commercial shops were yet to open for business and only a few commercial vehicles including motorcycles and Keke Napep were seen on the road.
Security operatives including Military officers were strategically stationed along major roads such as Airport road, Post Office area in the state capital without harassing anyone.
A visit to the Court restricted venue of the protest by Accurate News ‘Metropolitan Square’ located along Asa-Dam/Offa garage road at around 9 am shows the place surrounded by the operatives of the Nigerian Police Force and other sister security agencies with the Vans strategically stationed with just a person at the venue for the protest.
Speaking with Accurate News at the venue, a lone protester at around 9: am Dr. AbdulMumin Yinka Ajia said “I am here to show solidarity with the people protesting against bad governance in Nigeria.
Dr. AbdulMumin Yinka Ajia at the restricted venue of the protest
“I understand it does not just start today, however, there has to be a point where people would draw the line to say enough is enough.
Security operatives at the Metropolitan Square, Ilorin, monitoring the situation
“It’s really shameful that people in government are living large, they don’t look like people who miss one meal in a day but they keep asking commoners to continue to persevere, how come the perseverance, and sacrifice is not being shared equally.
“So I am here to show solidarity to people that believe this country can do better and has to be better for all.”
The lone protester later drove away from the venue around 9: 50 am.
Some individuals were later seen gathering at the roadside of the venue around some minutes past 10 am and later walked into the venue and introduced themselves to the team lead of the Nigerian Police Force on ground as ‘Take It Back’ and they were allowed to stage their peaceful protest.
Addressing journalists the spokesperson of the group, Buhari Olanrewaju said “We are here to express our displeasure over bad governance in the country, hunger, insecurity, devaluation of the naira.
“Farmers could no longer go to their farms again due to insecurity which had a serious effect on food scarcity in the country. Our demand is very simple and straightforward; minimum wage should be raised to N250,000, and the judiciary system should ensure poor people get Justice anytime they approach the court of law for any injustice meted against them, the federal government should set Nnamdi Kanu free after being freed by the Supreme Court.” he said
Also speaking, Issa Muttalib said “We are here to protest against the multidimensional poverty we are facing. We are demanding that the government should not just be talking daily and giving promises, we want action.
“The government should cut the cost of governance, you can not be buying billions of naira of presidential planes and keep preaching to people to be patient.
“This protest is not about the individual, it’s about governance and the system we are operating with.
“If they have succeeded in putting fear in the minds of many hungry Nigerians not to come out for now as we can all see, they should know that people will eventually summon courage and troop to the street when hardship hits harder if they fail to take charge of the economy and make things better for the commoners.”
The group however dispersed from the venue immediately at around 11:50 am with security operatives much on the ground.
The state government had in the late hours of Wednesday secured a court order restricting the protest to the Metropolitan Square in Ilorin, the state capital.
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