Breaking: Group announces nationwide June 12 protest venue

The Take It Back Movement has declared plans to hold nationwide protests on June 12, citing worsening economic hardship, rising insecurity and what it described as a clampdown on civil liberties under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

According to a statement released by the group, the demonstrations will take place simultaneously in over 20 cities across Nigeria, including Abuja, Lagos, Ibadan, Benin, Warri, Akure, Osogbo, Yola, and Maiduguri. In Lagos, protesters will gather at four major points: Badagry, Maryland, Agbara, and the Toll Gate. In the Federal Capital Territory, demonstrators will converge at Eagle Square. Protest times vary by location, but most will begin between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m.

The movement said it deliberately chose June 12—a date nationally recognized as Democracy Day—to remind the Nigerian government of its constitutional duty to safeguard the welfare and rights of its citizens.

“June 12 stands as a symbol of democratic struggle. We are using it to demand accountability and better governance,” the group stated.

Organizers pointed to a recent human rights report claiming that over 10,000 Nigerians have lost their lives to insecurity since President Tinubu took office in 2023. They also highlighted ongoing violence and mass displacement in states like Benue and Plateau, where thousands of families have been forced from their homes due to armed attacks.

“The current administration has failed to address these issues meaningfully,” the group argued. “Insecurity has worsened, poverty is deepening, and basic freedoms are under threat.”

Beyond security concerns, the Take It Back Movement accused the government of stifling dissent and targeting critics. It alleged that voices opposing government policies are being silenced through intimidation and exclusion from public discourse.

Calling on law enforcement agencies to respect the right to peaceful assembly, the group urged security operatives to protect, not harass, citizens participating in the protest.

“The Nigerian Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and peaceful protest,” the statement emphasized. “We warn against any form of violence, intimidation, or suppression by the state.”

The group called on all Nigerians to join the protest and speak out against what it described as systemic failure, insisting that meaningful change can only happen when citizens demand it.