Take It Back Movement To Protest Against Tinubu On June 12

The Take It Back Movement (TIB) has announced plans for a nationwide protest on June 12, Nigeria’s Democracy Day, citing escalating insecurity, shrinking civic freedoms, and severe economic hardship across the country.

In a strongly worded statement released Monday, TIB National Coordinator Juwon Sanyaolu condemned the persistent violence plaguing the Middle Belt and northern regions. He highlighted ongoing attacks in Benue, Plateau, and other states, saying that entire communities have been destroyed and thousands remain displaced.

Sanyaolu accused the government of downplaying the crisis. “In Plateau, Benue, Southern Kaduna, and across the Middle Belt, mass killings continue with terrifying frequency,” the statement read. A recent Amnesty International report estimated over 10,000 murders in Nigerian states. The movement declared, “The bloodletting has become a routine, and the state remains complicit, through its inaction, negligence, or outright denial. This is not a democracy. This is organised cruelty.”

The movement also criticized what it described as a government crackdown on dissent. Sanyaolu pointed to the arrests of protesters, detention of activists, and targeting of journalists and social media users under the Cybercrime Act. He characterized these actions as a “broader campaign to silence opposition and stifle democratic expression.”

“Across the federation, the signs of democratic collapse are unmistakable,” Sanyaolu stated. “Freedom of speech is under attack. The state has turned on its citizens with an unrelenting campaign of intimidation and censorship… Government agents now stalk the digital footprints of dissenters, silencing legitimate criticism and criminalising free expression.”

Rejecting official Democracy Day celebrations, TIB urged Nigerians nationwide, including workers, students, civil society groups, artisans, and the diaspora to join peaceful protests on June 12th.

“This June 12, we march not just for ourselves, but for the slain in Benue, the displaced in Plateau, the silenced in detention, and the starving masses abandoned by a corrupt elite,” the statement concluded.

Since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu came to power, Nigeria has declined significantly, security has continued to deteriorate, the economy is faltering, and inflation soars, while top government officials concentrate on securing support and building alliances for the 2027 elections.