Hundreds of protesters swarmed the streets of Lagos on Monday, rallying against cybercrime and the looming specter of emergency rule in Rivers State. The bold demonstration, spearheaded by the Take It Back Movement (TIBM), kicked off under the iconic Ikeja Under-Bridge before spilling toward the Lagos State Government House and the State House of Assembly in Alausa, okay.ng reports.
Heavy security blocked the area, but the march remained peaceful as demonstrators pressed forward with their demands. The protest unfolded just 24 hours after Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun called for its cancellation, labeling it “ill-timed” in a Sunday statement from police spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi. The plea came as the nation marked April 7 as the newly minted National Police Day, a move the police hailed as aligning with “global best practices” for honoring law enforcement.
“The rationale behind staging a nationwide protest on the same day is questionable and perceived as a deliberate and unpatriotic act aimed at maligning the image of the Nigeria Police and the nation,” Adejobi’s statement read, urging organizers to stand down. But the TIBM refused to back off, doubling down on their right to peaceful assembly.
National Coordinator Juwon Sanyaolu led the charge as the crowd pushed through Alausa, bound for Ojota and Gani Fawehinmi Park, where he’s slated to deliver a fiery address. The standoff between protesters and authorities has sparked a tense debate over free expression and public order on this symbolically charged day.
