Take It Back Movement, Lagos State

05/08/2026

ATTACK ON PEACEFUL PROTESTERS IS AN ATTACK ON DEMOCRACY
PRESS RELEASE
The Take It Back (TIB) Movement, Lagos State, strongly condemns the violent attack on peaceful protesters during Wednesday's nationwide demonstration against the Tinubu administration's worsening economic hardship and poor governance.

As protesters assembled at the designated venue, we were met by a heavy deployment of police officers. We initially believed they had been deployed to provide security for the protest, following our formal request for police protection. Unfortunately, events unfolded differently.

In the presence of officers of the Nigeria Police Force, armed thugs sponsored by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) descended on peaceful protesters and attacked them. Rather than protecting citizens exercising their constitutional rights, the police stood by as the attacks occurred. When protesters resisted the assault, the police turned their weapons on the victims by firing tear gas to disperse the peaceful gathering.

This conduct is a clear violation of Chapter IV, Section 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), which guarantees that "every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons. " Peaceful protest is a constitutional right, not a crime.

The events of today should concern every Nigerian. The use of violence, intimidation, and state-backed repression against peaceful protesters raises serious questions about the future of our democracy. If citizens can be attacked for expressing their grievances, it signals a dangerous erosion of democratic freedoms.

The conduct of the police is particularly troubling. It further reinforces concerns about the partisanship of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, who was recently seen participating in activities associated with the City Boy Movement, a political group campaigning for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Such conduct undermines public confidence in the neutrality and professionalism expected of the Nigeria Police Force.

We therefore call on the Lagos State Commissioner of Police to resign for failing in his constitutional duty to protect peaceful protesters and uphold the rule of law.

We also demand the immediate identification, arrest, and prosecution of all individuals responsible for attacking peaceful protesters. Those who sponsored or coordinated these acts must equally be brought to justice.

At a time when millions of Nigerians are struggling with soaring inflation, hunger and an unbearable cost of living, the government's response should not be violence against citizens demanding accountability. Silencing dissent through intimidation is an assault on democracy and an attack on the constitutional rights of all Nigerians.

The Take It Back Movement remains committed to peaceful, lawful, and democratic engagement. We will not be intimidated into silence, and we will continue to stand with Nigerians in the pursuit of justice, accountability, and good governance.

Oluwatosin Adeyemi
PRO, TIB Lagos

05/08/2026

PRESS STATEMENT

Attack on peaceful protesters: Take It Back Movement demands immediate removal of Lagos CP Tijani Olaiwola Fatai over police failure to protect citizens

The Take It Back Movement unequivocally condemns the violent attack carried out today against its members and other Nigerians participating in the peaceful protest at Maryland, Lagos.

What transpired today was not merely an attack on peaceful protesters. It was, in our view, a calculated assault on the constitutional rights of Nigerians, a blatant abuse of state power, and a disturbing indication of the growing threat posed when partisan violence is not effectively prevented by security institutions charged with protecting citizens.

The protest was convened as a peaceful civic action to demand an end to the escalating hardship, hunger, insecurity, unemployment, corruption, shrinking civic space, and authoritarian tendencies that many Nigerians associate with the regime of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Protesters assembled peacefully, carrying placards, chanting solidarity songs, and exercising rights guaranteed under Sections 39 and 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

According to available evidences, the peaceful assembly came under attack by politically sponsored thugs. Armed with dangerous weapons, the attackers descended on unarmed demonstrators, assaulting participants, disrupting the peaceful atmosphere of the protest, and unleashing violence on citizens whose only offence was exercising their constitutional rights and demanding a better Nigeria.

Even more disturbing was the conduct of officers of the Nigeria Police Force deployed to the venue. Despite their overwhelming presence, police officers failed to prevent the violence or provide effective protection for peaceful protesters. Video recordings and eyewitness accounts circulating from the scene appear to show officers watching as the violence unfolded without timely intervention.

As a result, several protesters, including Journalists sustained injuries during the incident. Protesters were beaten, chased, subjected to degrading treatment, and some were apprehended during the operation.

The attack also affected members of the media covering the protest. Journalists had cameras damaged, while phones, cameras, power banks, and other personal belongings belonging to protesters and media personnel were stolen during the violence.

These disturbing events occurred in the presence of the Divisional Police Officer of Ikeja Division and other senior police officers, who, according to the Movement, neither restrained the attackers nor effectively discharged their constitutional responsibility to protect citizens exercising their lawful rights.

The events of today raise profound concerns about the increasing erosion of civic freedoms and the protection of peaceful dissent in Nigeria. When law enforcement officers fail to protect citizens from violence during peaceful assemblies, public confidence in democratic institutions is severely undermined and the rule of law is weakened.

The Take It Back Movement therefore holds the Lagos State Police Command accountable for failure to adequately protect peaceful protesters and to respond effectively to the violence witnessed during today's demonstration.

In view of these grave developments, the Take It Back Movement demands the immediate removal of the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Tijani Olaiwola Fatai, whose leadership of the Command during today's events has resulted in a serious loss of public confidence. The failure of the Lagos State Police Command to guarantee the safety of peaceful demonstrators and uphold citizens' constitutional rights requires urgent administrative accountability. We therefore call on the Inspector-General of Police to relieve CP Tijani Olaiwola Fatai of his position.

The Movement is already compiling extensive documentary evidence, including videos, photographs, eyewitness testimonies, and other relevant materials from the incident. These materials will be relied upon in appropriate legal proceedings, petitions before oversight institutions, and every lawful mechanism available to ensure accountability for any unlawful conduct.

Accordingly, we demand:

- The immediate removal of Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani Olaiwola Fatai.
- A thorough, independent, transparent, and impartial investigation into the conduct of all police officers deployed to the protest.
- The identification, arrest, and prosecution of every individual responsible for attacking peaceful protesters and members of the press.
- Adequate compensation for victims whose property was stolen, destroyed, or damaged, and appropriate support for those injured.

The Nigerian people must never be made to believe that peaceful protest has become a criminal offence. The Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to assemble peacefully and express dissent without fear of intimidation, violence, or unlawful interference. These rights remain fundamental pillars of Nigeria's constitutional democracy.

To every Nigerian who stood courageously today despite intimidation and violence, we salute your resilience. The struggle for justice, freedom, accountable governance, and a country that works for all its people cannot be crushed by violence, intimidation, or repression.

The Take It Back Movement remains resolute. We shall not be intimidated. We shall not retreat. We shall continue to organise peacefully, speak truth to power, and defend the constitutional rights of Nigerians until justice, accountability, and genuine democratic governance prevail.

Signed:

Sanyaolu Juwon
National Coordinator
Take It Back Movement

5 August 2026

04/08/2026

Join us tomorrow and all other locations.

04/08/2026

Join us tomorrow.

08/07/2026

PRESS STATEMENT

TAKE IT BACK MOVEMENT CONDEMNS THE ILLEGAL ARREST AND DETENTION OF JOURNALIST ZAINAB SODIQ BY THE DSS, DEMANDS HER IMMEDIATE AND UNCONDITIONAL RELEASE

The Take It Back Movement strongly condemns the unlawful arrest and detention of journalist Zainab Sodiq by the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja.

According to available information, Zainab Sodiq was arrested solely for carrying out her professional responsibility as a journalist covering the public activities of activist and African Action Congress presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore. This represents yet another dangerous assault on press freedom, democracy and human rights by the government of Tinubu.

The arrest of journalists for simply documenting events is a hallmark of authoritarian regimes. It has no place in a democratic society. Journalism is not a crime. Reporting the activities of public figures is not an offence. The Constitution guarantees freedom of expression and freedom of the press, and no security agency has the authority to criminalise legitimate journalistic work.

This latest act further exposes the growing culture of impunity within the DSS, where arbitrary arrests, unlawful detentions, intimidation, and harassment of journalists, activists, and dissenting voices have become increasingly common. Whereas it has been unable to arrest growing terrorism in the country, it has rather prioritized those going about their legitimate duties, and holding the Bola Tinubu government to account.

The continued persecution of journalists sends a chilling message to every media practitioner in Nigeria and undermines the very foundations of accountability, transparency, and democracy. An attack on one journalist is an attack on the public's right to know.

The Take It Back Movement demands the immediate and unconditional release of Zainab Sodiq. We also demand that the DSS publicly disclose the legal basis for her arrest and desist from using state power to intimidate journalists and citizens exercising their lawful rights.

We call on media organisations, civil society groups, democratic forces, and all defenders of human rights to resist this dangerous descent into repression. Silence in the face of tyranny only emboldens those determined to dismantle our freedoms.

We reiterate our commitment to deploy all lawful means within our disposal to resist every attempt to criminalise journalism, suppress dissent, and erode the democratic rights of the Nigerian people. Enough of the intimidation. Enough of the lawlessness.

Signed:
Juwon Sanyaolu
National Coordinator
Take It Back Movement

24/06/2026

PRESS STATEMENT

Curfew Is No Substitute for Rescue: Tinubu, the Oyo Government Must Secure the Immediate Release of Abducted Schoolchildren and Teachers

*Curfews cannot replace rescue efforts. If these children and teachers are not returned, the streets will once again become the people's platform for demanding action!

The Take It Back Movement has received with concern the announcement by the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, imposing a 16-hour curfew across ten Local Government Areas surrounding the Old Oyo National Park following the prolonged abduction of schoolchildren and teachers who have now spent over 39 days in captivity.

We are compelled to state that the declaration of a curfew, more than 39 days after the abduction occurred, cannot substitute for the urgent rescue of the victims and the dismantling of the criminal networks responsible for their continued captivity.

The painful reality is that dozens of innocent children and their teachers remain in the hands of kidnappers while their families endure unimaginable trauma, uncertainty, and anguish. The prolonged captivity of these victims represents a grave failure of the security architecture at both state and federal levels and raises serious questions about the priority accorded to the safety and welfare of citizens.

We are particularly concerned that the response of government appears reactive rather than proactive. The people of Oyo State deserve clear answers regarding the concrete steps being taken to secure the release of the abducted children and teachers. They deserve transparency, accountability, and regular updates rather than measures that primarily restrict the movement of already traumatised communities.

The Take It Back Movement therefore states clearly that Governor Seyi Makinde, security agencies, and the Federal Government must treat the rescue of the victims as an urgent national priority. Every available lawful resource should be deployed towards ensuring their safe and immediate release. The government must also provide adequate support to the affected families and communities who have borne the burden of this tragedy for far too long.

Should the authorities continue to fail in their responsibility to secure the freedom of these children and teachers, the Take It Back Movement will not stand by in silence. We will be compelled to return to the streets until every victim is safely reunited with their family.

Furthermore, this disturbing incident once again exposes the broader crisis of insecurity confronting communities across Nigeria. Citizens cannot continue to live under the constant threat of abduction while those entrusted with protecting lives and property offer little more than temporary restrictions and assurances.

As the victims mark over 39 days in captivity, we reiterate our solidarity with their families, friends, and communities. We demand immediate action, not symbolic gestures. The safe return of every abducted child and teacher must remain the overriding priority. The lives of these children and educators matter. Their freedom cannot wait.

Signed:
Juwon Sanyaolu
National Coordinator
Take It Back Movement, Nigeria

02/06/2026

*PRESS STATEMENT*

ARREST CITY BANDITS, BABTEE and VICTOR NOW.

WE WON’T RUN FROM BOTH FOREST AND CITY BANDITS!

The Tinubu Regime is jittery.
Following the announcement of the protest, the regime has lost sleep. In their usual cosmetic style, they put together some agbada-wearing fools and sent them as a “strong delegation” to Ogbomoso. This game didn’t deter the people. We came out in our numbers yesterday across states to protest against insecurity and the voices of Nigerian were so loud that it deafened all their schemes.

These useless governments both Tinubu’s and Seyi Makinde’s have now resorted to violence and their willing tools are one Akinteye Babtee Babatunde and one Victor Dideoluwa who works as a power-bank carrier for Makinde.

While we are focused on the demand of the protest, which is to free the kidnapped children and teachers (47 of them) and end insecurity, I hereby call for the arrest of these elements and that the IG of Police Tunji Disu must fish out all the bandits who came in 12 buses with guns and machetes to attack peaceful protesters while the Police looked away. They’ve also started sending me threatening messages to attack me, but I’m not deterred at all.

This nonsense must stop now! Failure to arrest them, the Police formations will be occupied, starting from the State Headquarters from tomorrow.


- Adeyeye Olorunfemi

02/06/2026

27/04/2026

*Take It Back Movement Seeks Clarification from AGF, Serves Protest Notice Over Warri Criminal Case*

The Take It Back Movement Nigeria (Delta State and FCT Chapters) has formally written to the Attorney-General of the Federation, demanding urgent clarification over what it described as “unresolved questions” surrounding prosecutorial authority in an ongoing criminal case before the Federal High Court, Warri.

In a detailed request for clarification dated 27 April 2026, the group, through its counsel, Juliet Eyum Juliet Esq., raised concerns about Charge No. FHC/WR/92C/2022 involving the Federal Government of Nigeria and activist Ighorhiohwunu Aghogho.

The case, currently pending before the Federal High Court in Warri, reportedly stems from allegations of cyberstalking under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015. According to the group, the charges were initially instituted by the Delta State Attorney-General’s office.

However, the movement’s letter referenced a prior communication dated 12 December 2022, allegedly issued by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, which directed that the defendant should apply for dismissal of the charges on grounds of abuse of court process. The group stated that, in compliance, a Notice of Preliminary Objection was filed on 3 October 2025 but remains pending before the presiding judge, Justice H.A. Nganjiwa, as of 27 April 2026.

The request for clarification also highlighted an apparent inconsistency in the Federal Government’s position. The group noted that in a separate proceeding before the ECOWAS Court of Justice (Suit No. ECW/CCJ/APP/28/25), the Federal Government, through the Attorney-General’s office, reportedly stated that it was unaware of the same criminal charge currently pending in Warri.

Describing the situation as raising “serious constitutional and administrative questions,” the group asked the Attorney-General to clarify

"whether the correspondence dated 12 December 2022 (Ref: DDPA/AGHOGHO/673/22) remains in force, and if not, the exact date it ceased to have effect, the instrument or decision by which it was revoked, varied, or set aside, and whether such revocation or variation was communicated in writing"

"whether the said correspondence was issued pursuant to the AGF's constitutional powers under Section 174 of the Constitution and, if so, whether it is binding on prosecutorial authorities acting on behalf of the Federal Government"

"whether the continuation of Charge No. FHC/WR/92C/2022 aligns with the directive contained in the said correspondence and, if so, the legal basis for such alignment, or if not, the authority under which the charges are being maintained notwithstanding the directive"

" whether the AGF's office has expressly delegated prosecutorial authority in respect of this matter to any person, agency, or state authority and, if so, the identity of such authority, the legal instrument evidencing such delegation, and the scope and limits of the delegated authority"

" whether the position adopted by the Federal Republic of Nigeria in its Statement of Defence before the ECOWAS Court of Justice (Suit No. ECW/CCJ/APP/28/25) reflects the current and official position of the AGF's office on this matter and whether there is any material difference between that position and the basis upon which the domestic prosecution is being maintained"

" what measures the AGF has taken to ensure that the prosecutorial position maintained domestically does not contradict representations made on behalf of Nigeria before an international tribunal such as the ECOWAS Court; and, finally, who bears ultimate legal responsibility for the decision to continue the prosecution in the face of the said directive, including whether that decision is traceable to the AGF's office."

The organisation emphasized that its request does not seek to interfere with the merits of the case, which it acknowledged as sub judice and within the exclusive jurisdiction of the court. Instead, it framed the request as a public interest effort aimed at promoting transparency, accountability, and consistency in the administration of criminal justice.

The group warned that failure by the Attorney-General’s office to respond would trigger a peaceful protest scheduled for Thursday, 30 April 2026, at the Federal Ministry of Justice in Abuja. It stated that the protest would be aimed at drawing public attention to issues of constitutional governance, prosecutorial clarity, and institutional accountability.

According to the letter, the defendant, Ighorhiohwunu Aghogho, remains in custody at the Nigerian Correctional Service, Warri Custodial Centre, following the revocation of his bail on 16 June 2025 by Justice Nganjiwa.

The Take It Back Movement reiterated its commitment to peaceful and lawful advocacy, stressing that any protest action would respect the independence of the judiciary and would not interfere with ongoing court proceedings.

As of the time of this report, the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation has not issued any official response to the request for clarification.

27/04/2026

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