By Ayo Ayodele
The Take-It-Back Movement, led by activist Omoyele Sowore, has reaffirmed its plan to hold a nationwide protest on June 12 against what it describes as systemic killings and the erosion of democracy in Nigeria.
In a statement by National Coordinator Juwon Sanyaolu, the group condemned the annual June 12 celebrations as empty rituals masking the realities of oppression.
“We will not join in celebrating a false freedom. June 12 will be a national day of resistance—against tyranny, failed leadership, and the collapse of democratic values,” the statement read.
The group highlighted widespread insecurity and accused the government of enabling violence through inaction.
“Freedom of speech is under siege. Journalists are harassed, activists jailed, and citizens arrested for social media posts. The Cybercrime Act has become a tool to suppress dissent,” it stated.
The movement also decried the worsening violence in rural areas, citing continued killings in Benue, Plateau, Southern Kaduna, and other parts of the Middle Belt.
“Internally displaced persons are increasing. Communities are wiped out with no justice served. This is not democracy—it is organised cruelty,” it added.
The protest, they said, is not only in solidarity with the oppressed but also a call to all Nigerians to rise against bad governance.
> “We march for the slain in Benue, the displaced in Plateau, the silenced in detention, and the starving masses ignored by the political elite.”