By Seyi Odewale and Ben Adoga
The Police yesterday dispersed young demonstrators under the aegis of the Take-It-Back Movement in Abuja and Rivers State with teargas.
The protesters defied the Nigeria Police Force warning when they staged protests in Abuja, Lagos, Oyo, Rivers, and other states.
Clad in their signature orange berets, the protesters began their rally in Lagos at the Ikeja under Bridge. They marched through major roads in the state capital while chanting solidarity songs under the watchful eyes of police officers.
The Police had urged the movement to cancel its planned nationwide protest, describing the timing as ‘ill-conceived and mischievous.’
However, in a swift response, activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore dismissed the Police’s concerns, rejecting claims that the protest, scheduled yesterday, was intended to undermine the National Police Day celebration.
The Take-It-Back movement protests usually do not have any specific demands. However, the movement has been active in organising protests and making demands on various issues, such as the state of the Nigerian economy and the president’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
In Oyo, members of the Take-It-Back Movement protest held their peaceful demonstration in Ibadan, the state capital, with security operatives on standby to ensure no breach of peace.
The situation, however, turned awry in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, where Police fired teargas at protesters at the Isaac Boro Park.
“Nobody can tell us where not to gather; we are Rivers people,” the young demonstrators told the policemen who warned them not to hold the protest.
Police officers gave the protesters a hot chase and beat up some of them, including journalists reporting the event.
Earlier, the protesters told the police officers that they had informed the police command of their intention to stage the demonstration in a letter dated April 3, 2025.
One of the protesters had told reporters that the “peaceful protest” was to express their grievances to the government. “We are not here for violence,” he had said.
The demonstrators listed some of their grievances, including the repeal of the Cybercrime Act and the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
“As it is, we have no government. This government in Rivers State is alien to our people; it is unconstitutional. We demand that our governor come back to office and lead us appropriately. We have a social contract with the governor and not the sole administrator. This is democracy,” he said.
Like Rivers State, police officers dispersed protesters with tear gas in Abuja.
The protesters, who gathered at the Maitama area of the nation’s capital to express their grievances on Monday morning, were dispersed with tear gas canisters, which sent many scampering for safety.
The protest, part of a nationwide demonstration spearheaded by the Take-It-Back Movement and other civil society organisations, began earlier in the day to draw attention to several national issues.
According to the organisers, key concerns are the alleged misuse of the Cybercrime Act, the worsening economic hardship in the country, and the state of emergency President Bola Tinubu imposed on Rivers State.
The demonstrators carried placards bearing inscriptions such as “Stop the Repression” and “Let Us Breathe” as they marched through the streets of the Federal Capital Territory.
Human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore was also present at the protest ground to show solidarity with the movement.
In a statement released last Friday, the National Coordinator of the Take-It-Back Movement, Juwon Sanyaolu, says the protest is aimed at resisting what he termed the “current administration’s increasing authoritarianism” and demanding urgent relief for Nigerians battling inflation and insecurity.
