June 12: Protest against hardship, insecurity to hold in 20 states – Organisers

From Peter Moses, Eugene Agha, Dotun Omisakin (Lagos), Amina Abdullahi (Yola), Usman A. Bello (Benin), Abubakar Akote (Minna), Ahmed Mohammed & Hassan Ibrahim (Bauchi)

Ahead of the June 12 Democracy Day, the #TakeItBackMovement has insisted on the nationwide protest scheduled for Thursday.

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The organisers yesterday released a list of designated locations where demonstrators are expected to gather.

June 12 was adopted in 2018 by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari as Nigeria’s Democracy Day in honour of the winner of the June 12, 1993, election, Moshood Abiola.

This year’s commemoration marks 26-year uninterrupted democratic rule in the country.

The organisers said the protest is against hardship, insecurity and a “shrinking civic space” under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The movement’s national coordinator, Juwon Sanyaolu, disclosed that demonstrations would take place in at least 20 states.

“In Abuja, protesters will assemble at Eagle Square by 8:00 a.m. In Lagos, there are four rally points: Badagry, Maryland, Agbara, and Toll Gate, all starting from 7:00 a.m.,” he said.

Other locations include; Cathedral Junction in Akure, Ondo State (8:00 a.m.); Museum Ground in Benin City, Edo State (9:00 a.m.); and Gida Matasa in Niger State (8:00 a.m.).

Protesters in Damaturu, Yobe State, he said, will gather at the Maiduguri Bypass Roundabout at 7:30 a.m., while in Ibadan, Oyo State, the rally will take place at Mokola Roundabout from 8:00 a.m.

In Bauchi, according to the group, the protest will be held opposite the Bauchi School of ACR at Yelewam Makaranta by 8:00 a.m. and in Osogbo, Osun State, at Olaiya Junction.

The organisers said the protest would be held in multiple locations in Delta State, including Amukpe Roundabout in Sapele, Summit Junction and Koka Junction in Asaba, Otovwodo Junction in Ughelli, PTI Junction, Effurun and DSC Roundabouts in Warri and Police Station Junction in Abraka.

Other venues include; Juppu Jam Road in Yola, Adamawa State (8:00 a.m.) and Kasuwan Gamboru Flyover in Borno State (8:00 a.m.).

Sanyaolu said the protest was scheduled for June 12 to coincide with Nigeria’s Democracy Day as a symbolic call for accountability and respect for democratic principles.

“Our demands remain consistent. June 12 represents an opportunity for Nigerians to peacefully demand good governance and accountability. The constitution clearly states that the welfare and security of the people are the primary duties of government—duties which this administration has failed to fulfill,” he said.

He cited a report by Amnesty International, which alleged that over 10,000 Nigerians had lost their lives to various security crises since President Tinubu assumed office.

“Over 133 million citizens are living in multidimensional poverty. Many have been forced out of their homes due to insecurity and forced evictions.

“In Benue alone, more than 40,000 people are displaced. Plateau State has over 68,000 displaced residents. This reflects the state of national welfare and security,” Sanyaolu added.

Tight security in Lagos, Ogun, Niger

The Lagos, Ogun and Niger States’ Police Commands have intensified security to maintain peace ahead of Democracy Day.

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2 Police Command, Adegoke Fayoade, said the Commissioners of Police of both states had been directed to ensure adequate security before, during and after Thursday, which is the date slated for the Democracy Day celebration.

Fayoade, who spoke to Daily Trust via telephone, said he directed that personnel of the anti-riot and regular police be deployed to many vulnerable points in both states with particular emphasis directed at the Kara bridge area of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The AIG said there would be increased police presence at the Freedom Park in Ojota, Alausa, Surulere and Ikeja in Lagos as well as in Kuto, Gbara, Sango and Shagamu in Ogun State.

“The template is there. The Commissioners of Police in Lagos and Ogun States respectively know what to do.

“However, I have directed that specific attention should be directed at vulnerable points. This is not to say that we are anticipating any breakdown of law and order. However, we must be proactive in our approach,” he said.

Fayoade added that anti-crime teams had been stationed at black spots, criminal hideouts and flashpoints to deter illegal activities.

He said Armoured Personnel Carriers and vehicular patrols had been deployed to secure government installations.

Previous protests

Nigeria has witnessed a series of protests in the last two years, but the #EndBadGovernance protest of August 1, 2024 believed to be triggered by Tinubu’s administration’s policies of petroleum subsidy removal and the floating of the naira.

During the protest, many of the protesters were reportedly killed across states by security operatives: four in Borno State, four in Niger, three in Kaduna and two in Jigawa; while four were injured in Kano and a photojournalist arrested in Abuja.

The security agents also arrested many protesters across states.

Group moves against hardship, insecurity

He urged members of the public to go about their businesses without fear of molestation.

The Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Adebayo Taofiq, said road traffic personnel had been drafted to monitor traffic on major routes in the state.

“Adequate traffic officials have been posted to direct traffic, particularly around key areas,” he said.

The Niger State Police Command yesterday confirmed the planned protest to be held at Gidan-Matasa in Minna.

Its spokesman, Wasiu Abiodun, stated, “As a result of this, the Commissioner of Police, Niger State Command, CP Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, has directed officers of the Command to deploy all available human and operational assets to public places, including the venue indicated and identify vulnerable points with a view to ensure that there is no lawlessness and breach of public peace.

“However, members of the public are advised to continue with their lawful businesses, as the Command assures of its readiness to ensure public safety.”

Lagos CP, organisers’ meeting stalled

The scheduled meeting between the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh and the organisers of the protest did not hold yesterday as planned, Daily Trust gathered.

One of the leaders of the movement, Comrade Hassan Soweto, told Daily Trust that the state police command had invited them for a meeting slated for 11am on Tuesday.

He, however, said when the team arrived at the command’s headquarters, they were informed that the police commissioner had accompanied President Tinubu to the airport for his return to Abuja after the Sallah holiday in Lagos.

“We had to leave the command after one hour because he failed to respect the honor we reciprocated,” he said.

“If they reschedule any meeting, we are not going to attend physically, we will request a virtual meeting.

“We are working with over 25 groups in Lagos and we encourage students and women who are feeling the pain of hunger to come out and join us,” he said.

Lagos police spokesman, Benjamin Hundeyin, did not respond to enquiry as of the time of this report.

Meanwhile the organisers of the protest have written to the Lagos State Police Command, seeking protection for protesters.

The TIB Coordinator in Lagos, Adekunle Taofeek, in an open letter to the Commissioner of Police said the letter served as formal and public notification of the protest.

According to the organisers, “June 12 is not a date for silence but a reminder that Nigerians never begged for freedom. We have fought for it. And we will continue to fight, peacefully but fearlessly, until this country works for all of us.

“On June 12, 2025, the people of Nigeria, young and old, working class and unemployed, angry and awake, will take to the streets in peaceful protest against the unbearable insecurity and economic hardship that have strangled this nation.

“Protesting is not a request; it is a constitutional right. Sections 39 and 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) grant every Nigerian the freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. No law gives the police the power to crush or criminalise peaceful dissent.

“Therefore, we demand that the Lagos State Police Command desist from any attempt to suppress, brutalise or arrest peaceful protesters.

“Deploy officers to protect protesters, not to harass or assault them.”

The group said it expected policemen to “behave professionally and with restraint.”

We’re unaware of planned protest-Ogun, Adamawa police commands

In Ogun State, the Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, in an interview with Daily Trust yesterday, said: “No individual or group has interacted with me on that and as we speak, we do not envisage that in Ogun State. June 12 is just one or two days away and we are prepared. Nigerians are expected to come out and mark the day peacefully.

“So, we have not had any conversation with any individual or group of people on that. We are not looking forward to that, but we are prepared for the day.

“June 12 is for all Nigerians and we do not expect any individual or group of individuals to cause mayhem or disturb others from marking the event. My advice to all will be to mark the ceremony peacefully and look forward to a better Nigeria.

“We don’t want controversy or incidents that will mar the event. So, everybody should go about their activities peacefully, and the police and other security agencies will be on ground to make sure there is no breakdown of law and other.”

Similarly, the spokesman of the Adamawa State Police Command, Suleiman Yahaya Nguroje, said: “The command has not been informed about any protest, and we are yet to see any report from any angle indicating there will be a protest on June 12.

“If we are informed, we will notify this medium promptly.”

However, a leader of the TakeItBack Movement in the state confirmed the planned protest.

In Edo State, the coordinator of the movement, Hafiz Lawal, told Daily Trust that the protest would be held peacefully in Benin City and Auchi, the headquarters of Etsako West Local Government Area.

He said the protest was called against hunger, social injustice, insecurity, bad economy, among others.

The Bauchi State Police Command yesterday declined to comment on whether or not it was notified about the planned protest in the state.

Its spokesman, Mohammed Ahmed Wakil did not answer call and did not reply the text and WhatsApp messages sent to his mobile telephone line.

But the organisers said they would use Yelwa, near College of Agriculture, as the venue of the protest.

Don’t attack protesters, HURIWA cautions police

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has warned the Nigeria Police Force against using force on peaceful demonstrators.

In a statement issued by its national coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, the group expressed concern over reports that past peaceful protests across the country were violently disrupted by police operatives, often resulting in injuries and loss of life.

It called on the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to ensure his officers refrain from deploying lethal weapons against peaceful protesters, stressing that freedom of assembly is a constitutional right in a democratic society.

“Nigerians are preparing to participate in a nationwide peaceful protest on June 12 to demand good governance, accountability, an end to insecurity, police brutality, extrajudicial killings, and the worsening economic crisis,” the statement read.

The group condemned the violent responses of armed police operatives to previous peaceful demonstrations, noting that such actions promote state-sponsored impunity. It added that officers responsible for past killings of protesters have not been held accountable.

“It is unacceptable that in a country that claims to practice constitutional democracy, peaceful protesters are treated like armed terrorists. The frequent killings of protesters, without consequences, suggest a disturbing level of impunity and abuse of power,” HURIWA stated.

The organisation decried the systematic disruption of protests, particularly in Abuja, where security forces have allegedly fired tear gas and live ammunition to prevent access to symbolic venues like the Eagle Square in the past.

“Despite repeated use of force, protesters have consistently regrouped and continued their demonstrations, showing that violence has failed to suppress civil dissent. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must recognise the futility of using armed force to silence constitutionally guaranteed freedom.

“We urge the president to instruct the security forces to cease further attacks on protesters and create a safe environment where citizens can exercise their democratic rights without fear or intimidation,” it stated.