The police and the organisers of today’s nationwide demonstration, the Take-It-Back movement, disagreed yesterday
about the legality of the action against the Cybercrime Act and the suspension of Rivers State’s democratic system
after the federal government imposed an emergency rule on the state.
Police said the action was ill-timed and would make sure it did not hold, despite the protest organisers, who called it a
“Nationwide protest against bad governance and free speech suppression”, insisting that the demonstration was
required to force the federal government to stop using the Act to bully citizens.
Flyers produced for the demonstration stated that the protest would begin at Isaac Boro Park in Port Harcourt, Rivers
State, and that demonstrators in Oyo State were to gather on Iwo Road in Ibadan, while those in Lagos were to gather on Ikeja under the bridge.
The demonstration will address concerns about the abuse of the Cybercrime Act and the current “state of emergency”
in Rivers State, according to a statement from Juwon Sanyaolu, the National Coordinator of TIB.
The repeal of the Cybercrime Act and the lifting of emergency rule in Rivers State, which the demonstration
organisers characterise as a kind of military dictatorship under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, are among the rally’s main objectives, Sanyaolu clarified.
In the same vein, Mr Omoyele Sowore, the African Action Congress’s (AAC) presidential candidate, confirmed
yesterday that the planned statewide demonstration would take place today.
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In an interview, Sowore claimed that the problems adversely affecting people in many states and areas of the nation
made the demonstration essential.
“The nationwide protest will take place today,” he stated. Removing the Cybercrime Act is essentially one of the protesters’ demands.
“The protest date has been announced; the police have confirmed it. Some of them received letters from the organisers to protect them.
“You know, a lot of people want to fight based on other issues that are happening in the country.
“People are going to tailor their demands based on where they are. There are people in Rivas who want to fight over the state of emergency.
“There are people in Kogi who want to fight over what they are doing to Natasha. There are people who want to fight over hunger and starvation.
“Anybody who wants to participate is free to fight, based on what is paramount to their existence. It is not limited to any particular issue, but the basic position is repeal of the Cybercrime Act.”
On the ultimatum on the demands, Sowore said, “The ultimatum is tomorrow (today). If they repeal it (the Cybercrime Act) tonight, then we will review it. But, you know, it is not possible. But they had ample time to change their position.”
The founder of Vanguard Liberation, Agedo Kehinde, explained that his team would not be among those protesting on April 7 but would monitor the protest.
