Commercial activities in the early hours of Thursday was partially paralysed across Ogun State following the #EndBadGovernance protest scheduled to begin nationwide on August 1, 2024.
This is just as heavy security deployment was also noticed across the state, particularly at some flashpoints which intelligence reports had previously indicated to be convergence venues for the protesters.
Situation monitoring by LEADERSHIP in the state observed heavy convergence of combined security operatives drawn from the Nigeria Police, that of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Department of State Services (DSS) and operatives of the South West Security Network codenamed “Amotekun.”
Personnel of the Nigerian Army were however on regular patrol exercise of all the major streets of the state.
At the Moshood Abiola International Stadium in Kuto area of Abeokuta metropolis, which was designated as the convergence centre for the protesters, security chiefs were seen putting heads together and dishing out instructions to their respective officers.
Some of the traders who spoke with LEADERSHIP attributed the low turnout of traders to panic for fear of the unknown.
Meanwhile the Panseke Junction where the students of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) usually board vehicles to their campus witnessed heavy presence of security operatives.
An anonymous NSCDC personnel, who declined his identity on the ground of lacking the authority to speak with the media, confided in LEADERSHIP that intelligence reports had identified the Panseke Junction as the real convergence point for the protesters necessitating the multitude deployment of personnel to the area.
Also, the State Secretary of Coalition of Ogun Youths Forum; one of the protesting groups who spoke with LEADERSHIP at Panseke Junction, Comrade Kareem Baiyewu said his group has since changed the phrase of the protest from #EndBadGivernance to #BringBackTheSubsidy because his group does not want to be as antagonistic of the government.
Baiyewu explained that his group had since February been engaging the state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun in dialogue over the plethora of their demands which were yet to be met till date.
Aside from Baiyewu who spoke with LEADERSHIP, no other member of the protesting groups was visible in the Abeokuta metropolis, thereby suggesting that the protesters may have dropped their agitation in the state.
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