According to the South-South regional coordinator of the movement, police officers chased and assaulted some protesters, including journalists covering the protest
By Titilope Adako
Rivers, Nigeria | April 7 2025
Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force on Monday morning dispersed peaceful protesters at Isaac Boro Park in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, using teargas and physical force.
The demonstrators, mostly members of the Take It Back Movement, arrived at the venue as early as 9am but were met with heavy police presence.
According to the South-South regional coordinator of the movement, police officers chased and assaulted some protesters, including journalists covering the protest.
“Yes, it’s true. Some of our guys were attacked by the police. I’m trying to assess the situation. I will get back to you,” he told SaharaReporters over the phone.
The group said it had written to the police command on April 3, 2025, notifying them of their plan to stage the protest.
A protester stated, “We are not here for violence. This is a peaceful protest to express our grievances.”
The protesters demanded the repeal of the Cybercrime Act and called for the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
When contacted, Rivers Police Command spokesperson Grace Iringe-Koko said, “Please, I will get back to you.”
Similar demonstrations also took place in Lagos, Ibadan and Abuja
The protesters, mostly youths and pro-democracy advocates, argued that the Cybercrime Act is being used to silence dissent, muzzle the press, and criminalise free speech.
In Ibadan, the protest held at Iwo Road despite a significant police presence. A protester in a viral TikTok livestream said, “We should not allow anybody to take away our freedom of speech… They take away our voices, the right to ask questions, the right to challenge injustice.”
In Lagos, protesters marched through major streets with placards bearing messages like, “Any law that forbids us from speaking truth against oppression in Nigeria is no longer a law but shackles of slavery.”
Activists accused the police of using their presence to intimidate rather than protect, as they maintained their stance against what they described as systematic oppression.
Join us on our whatssap platform @KOIKIMEDIA NEWS YOU
KoikiMedia Bringing the World 🌍 Closer to your Doorstep