Hunger Protest: Civil Society Organizations Establish Situation Room and Dedicated Helplines

Ahead of the planned nationwide protest against hunger and hardship in Nigeria set to commence on August 1, the Organized Civil Society has issued comprehensive guidelines to ensure the demonstration’s success. These guidelines were outlined in a statement by Olawale Okunniyi, the Head of the Coordinating Secretariat of the United Action Front of Civil Society, following a meeting with Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun.

The civil society groups have emphasized the importance of civility and orderliness during the protests, urging participants not to be provoked or distracted from their agenda. Protesters are encouraged to use their phones to record any instances of external aggression and submit these recordings to the Civil Society Situation Room on Protests Ethics Monitoring.

The guidelines for protesters include:

• Civility and Orderliness: Protesters are encouraged to remain calm and focused, avoiding any provocations that may arise during the protest.
• Recording Aggression: Participants should document any aggressive actions with their phones and send recordings to the Civil Society Situation Room for monitoring.
• Preparation: Protesters are advised to bring small bottles of water, snacks, and dress smartly.
• Prohibited Items: Protesters should not bring sharp, hard, or violent objects or weapons to the protest. Anyone found with such items will be detained and handed over to security agents or the protest monitoring team for prosecution.

For support and assistance during the nationwide protests, citizens can contact protest monitors at the Civil Society Situation Room via WhatsApp using the following hotlines:

• +23481-884-51511
• +234 814 286 4904
• +234 703 504 6101
• +234 803 582 3617

It is important to note that these hotlines are for WhatsApp messages only.

The civil society groups have also urged the government and its agents to “demobilize and caution those being recruited to threaten and intimidate peaceful protesters.” They emphasized the need to avoid unnecessary clashes and conflicts in the interest of Nigeria’s peace and stability.