In what promises to be a defiant show of resistance, the Take It Back Movement has declared a nationwide protest for June 12, Nigeria’s Democracy Day, to spotlight the country’s deepening insecurity, suffocating economic hardship, and the government’s aggressive clampdown on free speech.
The announcement, made on Monday by the group’s National Coordinator Juwon Sanyaolu, paints a grim picture of a nation spiraling into chaos, especially in the Middle Belt and northern regions. From Benue to Plateau, and through Southern Kaduna, communities have reportedly been “wiped out” by relentless waves of violence. Thousands of families have been displaced, yet the state—according to the group—remains either disturbingly silent or wilfully blind.
“In Plateau, Benue, Southern Kaduna, and across the Middle Belt, mass killings continue with terrifying frequency. Whole communities are decimated… and the state remains complicit,” Sanyaolu declared in the statement.
Labelling the current government as “organised cruelty in disguise of democracy,” Sanyaolu accused it of failing in its basic duty to protect lives, while simultaneously unleashing state machinery against those who speak out.
Citing multiple instances of arrests, detentions, and intimidation of journalists, activists, and social media users, the movement condemned what it calls the “weaponisation of the Cybercrime Act”—a law increasingly being used to track, silence, and prosecute dissenters under vague pretexts.
“This is not democracy. It is repression. It is a war against the people,” the statement charged.
According to the group, Democracy Day no longer symbolizes freedom or progress but rather stands as a bitter reminder of what’s been lost. “What was won through struggle, sweat, and blood,” Sanyaolu said, “has now been dismantled by the very people who promised change.”
The protest, they say, will be peaceful but unapologetically loud. The movement is urging Nigerians from all walks of life—students, workers, artisans, civil society organizations, and members of the diaspora—to hit the streets in solidarity.
As June 12 approaches, the Take It Back Movement has drawn a clear line: either the people reclaim the meaning of Democracy Day—or it remains a ceremonial farce draped in blood and silence. No official response has been issued yet by the Federal Government, but with tensions rising, all eyes are now on the streets.
—This is a developing story. Updates will follow as June 12 nears.
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