Policemen on Monday clamped down on protesters in different parts of the country, arresting four activists in Yobe, two in Abuja, and teargassing others in Rivers State.
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that one male protester identified as ‘Flag Boy,’ and another female protester simply identified as Bose, were arrested by the police around Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja on Monday.
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“Four of our comrades have also been arrested by the police in Yobe,” Juwon Sanyaolu, the National Coordinator of ‘Take It Back’ movement, the organisers of the protest, told our correspondent, adding that “the police also teargassed protesters in Rivers State as they did in Abuja.”
The protesters, under the aegis of the ‘Take It Back’ movement led by former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, trooped to the streets in Lagos, Abuja, Oyo, Rivers, Yobe, and other parts of Nigeria on Monday in protest against what they described bad governance and the shrinking space for free speech in the country.
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The organisers said the protest is against continued clampdown on citizens’ rights to freedom of expression and bad governance.
They call for the repeal of the Cybercrime Act, which is often invoked to arrest, detain and prosecute comments made on social media platforms.
Police’ earlier warning
Earlier on Sunday, the police had raised concerns about the timing and motive behind the protest.
In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the police noted that the protest was scheduled to take place on the same day that the federal government designated as the National Police Day to honour the service and dedication of police personnel.
Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who signed the statement, said while the police recognised the constitutional right of citizens to peaceful assembly, the planned protests raised questions about its intent, especially given the significance of the day.
“The Nigeria Police Force is deeply concerned about the motive behind such a protest scheduled on the same day the contributions of the Nigeria Police Force to national security are to be celebrated,” Mr Adejobi stated.
“Such a glamorous event will bring together dignitaries from all spheres of life, both locally and internationally, including foreign Inspectors-General of Police and diplomats.”
The police spokesperson described the protest as “ill-timed and mischievous,” alleging that it may be a deliberate attempt to tarnish the image of the police and the country.
“The rationale behind staging a nationwide protest on the same day is however questionable and perceived to be a deliberate attempt and unpatriotic act,” he said.
Sowore reacts
However, Mr Sowore rejected the claims by the Nigeria police and insisted that the nationwide protest would proceed as planned.
He repudiated the claim that the protest was organised to undermine the National Police Day celebration i a post on his verified Facebook page on Sunday.
Mr Sowore described the statement as an attempt to divert attention from the controversies surrounding the continued stay of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, in office.
He further called on Mr Egbetokun to retire from the police force having completed 35 years in service, just as others before him have done. According to him, the country needs a reformed police institution.
“Nigeria needs a new police force, not one headed by a spent force IGP utilising diversionary tactics to shift public attention from his shortcomings and scandals,” he said. “Regardless, tomorrow’s protest must go on across Nigeria. Nothing can stop the movement of the people!”
The 7 April protest is the latest in the series of demonstrations Mr Sowore’s group has led or joined forces with others to organise in recent times.
Mr Sowore and his group played crucial roles in the August 2024 #EndBadGovernnace protest as well as the subsequent 1 October 2024 protest organised to campaign against corruption, bad governance, insecurity and poor management of the country’s economy.
The Take It Back movement is a pro-democracy and advocacy group founded by Mr Sowore in 2018.
The group has consistently campaigned against corruption, abuse of power, and police brutality.
It gained national attention during the #RevolutionNow protests, which called for sweeping reforms in governance and the security sector.
Mr Sowore, who contested Nigeria’s 2019 and 2023 presidential elections on the platform of the African Action Congress (AAC), has been a vocal critic of successive administrations.
He has faced multiple arrests and legal battles over his role in organising protests, particularly those seen as challenging state authority.
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