By Charles Maduka
The Take It Back Movement has declared plans to hold a nationwide protest on June 12 to highlight worsening insecurity, economic hardship, and what it described as the shrinking space for civil liberties in Nigeria.
The group’s National Coordinator, Juwon Sanyaolu, made this known in a statement on Monday, condemning the government’s failure to address persistent attacks in regions such as Benue, Plateau, and Southern Kaduna.
Sanyaolu noted that communities in these areas are being destroyed and residents displaced while the state remains unresponsive.
“In Plateau, Benue, and Southern Kaduna, killings continue with shocking regularity. Entire communities are wiped out. People are displaced in large numbers while perpetrators act with impunity. The government either looks the other way or pretends it’s not happening,” he said.
He accused the government of complicity through its silence or outright denial, describing the state of affairs as “organised cruelty” rather than a functioning democracy.
The group also criticised the Federal Government for what it called an attack on dissent, citing arrests of protesters, journalists, and social media users under the Cybercrime Act.
“Democracy, once fought for with blood and sacrifice, is being destroyed by those who promised reform. What we now witness is an open assault on freedom of expression,” Sanyaolu stated.
He said that citizens are being harassed and detained for exercising their rights, and that digital spaces are being policed to silence opposing views.
Rejecting any official celebration of Democracy Day, Sanyaolu called on all Nigerians—students, workers, civil society, artisans, and even those in the diaspora—to join the protest.
“This June 12, we will march for the dead in Benue, the displaced in Plateau, the detained activists, and the millions suffering under economic hardship. Our message is clear—enough is enough,” he said.
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