By Atoyebi Nike
A nationwide protest is being planned for June 12 by the Take It Back Movement, aimed at drawing attention to rising insecurity, public hardship, and growing attacks on civil freedoms across Nigeria.
The group’s National Coordinator, Juwon Sanyaolu, said the country is experiencing unchecked violence, especially in the Middle Belt. He pointed to widespread killings and displacement in Benue, Plateau, and Southern Kaduna. According to him, whole communities have been destroyed, and the government has failed to respond adequately.
Sanyaolu claimed that rather than protect its citizens, the state appears indifferent or in denial. “This is no longer a democracy—it’s deliberate cruelty,” he said.
The movement also raised alarm over arrests and harassment of critics, including protesters and journalists. It accused the government of using the Cybercrime Act to target voices of dissent and stifle online expression.
“Citizens are being punished for speaking out,” Sanyaolu said. “This is an organized effort to silence opposition and erase public criticism.”
The group rejected any official celebrations of Democracy Day, calling instead for peaceful street marches nationwide. It urged workers, students, activists, and Nigerians abroad to participate.
“We march for the voiceless, the displaced, the jailed, and the millions left behind,” the statement read.
