In a bold act of defiance, citizens across several Nigerian cities flooded the streets on Monday to protest what they called a rise in authoritarian governance, zeroing in on the contentious Cybercrime Act of 2024.
The demonstrations, which coincided with the government’s inaugural National Police Day, have ignited a nationwide conversation on civil liberties, freedom of expression, and government accountability.
On same day as the inaugural National Police Day, the Take It Back Movement, in partnership with several civil society organizations, organized nationwide demonstrations. Protesters across major cities—Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Maiduguri, and Jos—condemned the law, describing it as a means to suppress free speech and stifle digital expression.
In Abuja, protests spearheaded by prominent activists Omoyele Sowore and Deji Adeyanju turned chaotic after police fired tear gas at demonstrators in the Maitama district. Meanwhile, in Rivers State, security forces reportedly broke up a planned rally at Isaac Boro Park before it could commence.
“This Act is nothing but a weapon of mass suppression,” said the National Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement, Comrade Sanyaolu Juwon, “It is designed to silence Nigerians who dare to challenge corrupt and illegitimate powers.”
Footage circulating on social media showed protesters fleeing clouds of tear gas. Placards at protest venues carried messages such as “Expression No Be Crime” and “Stop the Repression.”
The Take It Back Movement, in a statement on its X (formerly Twitter) account, wrote: “Leaders wey dey fear criticism no dey fit to lead. Journalists, activists, and ordinary people dey silenced under this law. This na fight for our digital freedom.”
The Nigeria Police Force described the timing of the protest as “provocative,” accusing organizers of attempting to undermine national unity. Force spokesperson ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi said, “The protest appears to be a deliberate attempt to tarnish the image of the Nigeria Police and, by extension, the nation.”
Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun acknowledged citizens’ right to peaceful protest but urged organizers to respect national events. “Peaceful assembly is a constitutional right, but we expect coordination and respect for national occasions,” he stated.
Despite police resistance, organizers say the protests will continue. “We will not stop,” said Juwon. “We will continue to fight for a Nigeria where freedom of expression is not a privilege, but a fundamental right.”
Monday’s protests mark one of the most coordinated youth-led mobilizations in recent years, renewing debate over the balance between national security and civil liberties in Africa’s most populous nation.
