- Police deploy tear gas to control crowds.
- Anti-government protesters gather in Rivers and Abuja.
- Tensions escalate during demonstrations.
- Security forces aim to disperse the protesters.
- Protests highlight growing dissatisfaction with government policies.
Nigerian police fired tear gas on Monday morning to break up demonstrations in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and Abuja, where crowds had gathered to protest against government repression and the ongoing state of emergency in Rivers.
In Port Harcourt, members of the Take It Back Movement assembled at Isaac Boro Park by 9 a.m. to denounce the controversial state of emergency and what they called the misuse of the Cybercrime Act by security agencies. However, the protest turned chaotic when police arrived and launched tear gas canisters, scattering demonstrators in all directions.
Eyewitnesses reported that some protesters, including journalists covering the event, were physically attacked by officers. The group insists they had formally notified the police of their planned protest in a letter dated April 3, 2025.
The demonstration follows President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State last month, triggered by the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara amid rising political turmoil.
A parallel protest in Abuja’s Maitama district was also violently dispersed by police. Demonstrators had gathered peacefully to voice frustrations over economic hardship, insecurity, and what they described as growing authoritarianism under the federal government.
Protesters carried signs reading, “Stop the Repression” and “Let Us Breathe,” highlighting concerns about alleged abuses of the Cybercrime Act and Nigeria’s deteriorating human rights climate. Among those present in Abuja was human rights campaigner and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore.
The nationwide demonstrations were organized by the Take It Back Movement alongside other civil society groups. In a statement last Friday, the group’s national coordinator, Juwon Sanyaolu, said the protests aimed to push back against “increasing authoritarianism” while demanding urgent government action to address inflation and insecurity.
Similar rallies were reported in Lagos and multiple state capitals across the country.
