The Take-It-Back Movement has announced its intention to organize a nationwide protest on April 7, 2025. The aim of this demonstration is to call attention to demand an end to crackdown on free speech and ongoing misgovernance in the country.
According to various graphics posted on the movement’s official Twitter account, supporters are urged to gather at various locations across the country on April 7, 2025.
The demonstration will be held in several cities, including Abuja, Oyo State, Jos, Borno, and others. Participants are encouraged to join the protests in their respective regions and stand in solidarity with the movement’s demands for an end to free speech suppression and misgovernance in Nigeria.
According to one of the Movement’s announcements, it reads: “Nationwide protest against bad governance and free speech suppression. Date: April 7, 2025; Time: 8:00 AM
“Convergence point: Iwo Road, Ibadan.
“The Cybercrime Act creates an environment of fear and censorship. We must #RepealCyberCrimeAct for a free Nigeria! Join the masses on 7th of April, Iwo Road, Ibadan. Join us!!”
On the 20th of February, 2025, during a global press conference held at Dover Hall in Ikeja, Lagos State, the Take It Back Movement had demanded immediate and unconditional repeal of what it described as the oppressive Cybercrime Act of 2024 being misused by the Nigerian government to oppress Nigerians.
The organization expressed deep concerns over the misuse of the cybercrime act by President Bola Tinubu’s administration and All Progressives Congress (APC) to silence opposing voices, including human rights activists, journalists and social media users.
The press conference was led by the TIB’s National Coordinator, Comrade Sanyaolu Juwon, and several other leaders from various states across the country.
The TIB Movement cited numerous cases of political persecution and targeted attacks on journalists and activists, such as Omoyele Sowore, Dele Farotimi, Olamide Thomas, Olumide Ogunsanwo, and Fisayo Soyombo, amongst others.
According to the organization, the Cybercrime Act has been systematically employed to criminalize dissent and undermine freedom of expression.
TIB’s National Coordinator Juwon said, “Looking at the chain of events, the Cybercrime Act has not been an Act about combating cybercrime.
“It is a weapon of mass suppression, a digital shackling, designed to silence Nigerians who dare to challenge the corrupt and illegitimate powers that be, including opposition voices, journalists, and young people freely expressing their opinions on TikTok and Twitter.
“Leader and founder of our organization has been repeatedly hounded using this infamous act. Dele Farotimi, Olamide Thomas, Olumide Ogunsanwo, and Fisayo Soyombo are few of the numerous victims of this repressive act.”
In response to the oppressive climate created by the Nigerian government through the Cybercrime Act, the TIB demanded the “immediate and unconditional repeal of the Cybercrime Act to safeguard the rights enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution”.
It called for an “end to the harassment and persecution of activists, journalists, and ordinary citizens under the guise of enforcing cybercrime laws.
“A call to Nigerians to resist any attempts to suppress digital spaces and promote a free platform for the expression of diverse thoughts and opinions.”
Juwon vowed that the movement would continue its fight for a Nigeria where freedom of expression is upheld as a fundamental right.
The organization noted that it is organizing a series of protests and mass demonstrations to pressure the government into repealing the controversial Cybercrime Act.
He stressed, “As a pro-people movement, we, today, declare that this Act is an affront to the fundamental rights enshrined in our constitution and a blatant violation of the freedom of expression as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that is the lifeblood of any true democracy.
“This regime, which is clearly terrified by the truth, seeks to criminalize dissent, labeling every critical voice as a cybercriminal.
“We say: Enough to an Act that is not just deadly but gives the Tinubu regime excessive power to monitor and control the digital space, turning Nigeria into a surveillance state.
“Fellow Nigerians, the Cybercrime Act is a tool for silencing, oppressing, and intimidating Nigerians who report on the regime’s failures and atrocities.”
“We demand an immediate end to the persecution of activists, journalists, and citizens under the guise of Enforcing Cybercrime,” he said.
“We call on Nigerians to resist all attempts to turn our digital spaces into zones of oppression. We stand for a free digital space for all to express their thoughts.
“Accordingly, we will be calling out Nigerians for a series of protest actions, mass demonstrations until this oppressive Act is consigned to the dustbin of history.
“We will continue to fight for a Nigeria where freedom of expression is not a privilege, but a fundamental right.”
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