As Nigeria approaches its Democracy Day on June 12th, the Take It Back Movement has formally written to the Lagos State Police Command, requesting protection for participants in their planned protest.
The group intends to march against what they describe as “unbearable insecurity and economic hardship” gripping the nation.
In an open letter addressed to the Lagos Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, and made public on Tuesday, Adekunle Taofeek, the TIB Coordinator in Lagos, asserted that the communication serves as an “official and public notification” of their intention to hold a peaceful demonstration.
“On June 12, 2025, the people of Nigeria, young and old, working class and unemployed, angry and awake, will take to the streets in peaceful protest against the unbearable insecurity and economic hardship that have strangled this nation,” stated the letter, obtained by PUNCH Online.
The organizers stressed the historical significance of June 12, which commemorates the annulled 1993 presidential election, as a day not for silence but for reaffirming the fight for freedom. “We have fought for it. And we will continue to fight, peacefully but fearlessly, until this country works for all of us,” they declared.
Citing constitutional provisions, specifically Sections 39 and 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which guarantee freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, the Take It Back Movement firmly stated, “Protesting is not a request; it is a constitutional right. No law gives the police the power to crush or criminalize peaceful dissent.”
Accordingly, the group explicitly “demanded that the Lagos State Police Command desist from any attempts to suppress, brutalize, or arrest peaceful protesters.” Instead, they urged the police to “deploy officers to protect protesters, not to harass or assault them,” with an expectation of “professional and restrained” conduct from law enforcement.
This year’s June 12 marks 26 years of continuous democratic rule in Nigeria since the transition from military governance in 1999. The Take It Back Movement’s proactive engagement with the police highlights ongoing concerns about civic space and the right to peaceful assembly in the country.
