There was tension in Port Harcourt and Abuja on Monday as police officers fired teargas at peaceful protesters demanding urgent government action over worsening economic conditions and other issues.
The protests were organized by the Take-It-Back Movement, a civil rights group, in partnership with other organisations. Demonstrators gathered at Isaac Boro Park in Port Harcourt and the Maitama area in Abuja.
In Port Harcourt, protesters had gathered around 9:00 a.m. before the police stormed the area. The protest was held over the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
According to *Channels TV*, some of the protesters were heard shouting at police officers, saying, “Nobody can tell us where not to gather, we are Rivers people.”
Despite police warnings to cancel the protest, the group went ahead with the demonstration. The crowd was later dispersed with teargas.
A similar scene played out in Abuja where protesters, including human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, took to the streets carrying placards with messages like “Stop the Repression” and “Let Us Breathe.”
The Abuja protest happened near the Three Arms Zone, close to Eagle Square, where the National Police Day celebration was taking place.
National Coordinator of the Take-It-Back Movement, Juwon Sanyaolu, said the protest was meant to draw attention to several key issues affecting Nigerians, including high inflation, insecurity, and the use of the Cybercrime Act to silence critics.
Sanyaolu also condemned the state of emergency declared in Rivers State, describing it as unnecessary and dangerous to democracy.
He said, “We are out here to say no to repression, to demand an end to the hunger and suffering in this country, and to speak out against the misuse of the Cybercrime Act to arrest innocent citizens.”
As of the time of this report, there were no confirmed reports of any injuries or arrests during the protests.
