Take It Back Movement Announces June 12 Nationwide Protest Over Insecurity, Repression, and Economic Hardship

The Take It Back Movement has declared plans to stage a nationwide protest on June 12, calling attention to Nigeria’s deepening insecurity, shrinking civic space, and worsening economic conditions.

In a statement issued on Monday, the movement’s National Coordinator, Juwon Sanyaolu, condemned the federal government’s perceived inaction in the face of widespread violence, particularly in the Middle Belt and northern regions. He highlighted the alarming rate of attacks in Benue, Plateau, Southern Kaduna, and other affected areas, describing the situation as a “national emergency that the state continues to ignore.”

“In Plateau, Benue, Southern Kaduna, and across the Middle Belt, mass killings continue with terrifying frequency,” Sanyaolu said. “Whole communities are decimated, lives are snuffed out without consequences, and perpetrators roam free while internally displaced persons multiply. This is not a democracy. This is organised cruelty.”

The group also criticised what it described as a targeted crackdown on free speech and civic activism. Sanyaolu pointed to the arrest of protesters, detention of activists, and persecution of journalists and social media users under the Cybercrime Act as evidence of the government’s efforts to stifle dissent.

“Across the federation, the signs of democratic collapse are unmistakable,” he said. “Freedom of speech is under attack. The state has turned on its citizens with an unrelenting campaign of intimidation and censorship.”

He further accused the government of weaponising the Cybercrime Act to surveil and silence critics, adding that Nigeria’s democracy—hard-won through decades of struggle—has been steadily dismantled.

Rejecting the official Democracy Day celebrations, the Take It Back Movement called on Nigerians across all sectors—including students, workers, civil society groups, artisans, and the diaspora—to participate in peaceful protests on June 12.

“This June 12, we march not just for ourselves, but for the slain in Benue, the displaced in Plateau, the silenced in detention, and the starving masses abandoned by a corrupt elite,” Sanyaolu stated.

The movement’s protest, timed to coincide with Democracy Day, is expected to serve as a rallying cry for citizens demanding justice, accountability, and genuine democratic governance.