Youths Defy Police Warning, Stage Protests In Lagos, Abuja, Rivers, Others
….Police deny dispersing protesters with tear gas in Rivers
Young demonstrators under the aegis of the Take-It-Back Movement on Monday defied police warning and staged protests in Abuja, Lagos, Oyo, Rivers, among other states.
Clad in their signature orange berets, the protesters began their rally in Lagos at the Ikeja Under Bridge, marching through major roads in the state capital while chanting solidarity songs, under the watchful eyes of police officers.
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) had earlier 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 for Monday, was intended to undermine the National Police Day celebration.
The Take-It-Back movement protests are usually without any specific demands. The “Take It Back” movement has been active in organizing protests and making demands on various issues: The state of the Nigerian economy, the president’s declaration of state of emergency in Rivers State, among other issues.
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.
Police Fire Teargas At Protesters
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.
Policemen gave the protesters a hot chase and beat up some of them including journalists reporting the event.
The protesters had earlier told the policemen 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 demonstrator listed some of their grievances to include 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 are here to demand that our governor comes 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, Like 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, which is 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 among their concerns is the alleged misuse of the Cybercrime Act, the worsening economic hardship in the country, and the state of emergency imposed by President Bola Tinubu 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 week Friday, the National Coordinator of the Take-It-Back Movement, Juwon Sanyaolu, says the protest is aimed at resisting what he termed the “increasing authoritarianism” of the current administration and to demand urgent relief for Nigerians battling inflation and insecurity.
Police deny dispersing protesters with tear gas in Rivers
The Rivers police command has denied firing tear gas at peaceful protesters in the state.
Videos of police firing tear gas at protesters have since gone viral.
But in a statement, Grace Iringe-Koko, police spokesperson in Rivers, claimed that officers did not fire tear gas at the protesters.
Iringe-Koko said the police drove off “criminals and miscreants” from stealing valuables from the public instead.
“The Command wishes to categorically clarify that the report is unfounded. Upon receiving intelligence regarding the protest, our officers were promptly deployed to the specified locations,” the statement reads.
“On arrival, a group of miscreants was observed engaging in criminal acts, including the theft of mobile phones and other valuables from unsuspecting members of the public. Our operatives responded swiftly, dispersing the individuals.”
Iringe-Koko claimed that reports that police shot at protesters were intended to “incite public anxiety and create unnecessary tension within the state”.
