Youth activists under the Take-It-Back Movement on Monday defied warnings from the Nigeria Police Force to stage coordinated protests across several Nigerian cities, including Lagos, Abuja, Oyo, and Rivers.

Wearing their distinctive orange berets, protesters in Lagos gathered at the Ikeja Under Bridge before marching through major streets, chanting solidarity songs under the watchful eyes of security personnel.

The police had earlier labelled the protest “ill-conceived and mischievous”, urging the organisers to cancel it. However, activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore dismissed the police’s stance, insisting the protests were not meant to disrupt the National Police Day.

Although the movement did not present a single set of demands, protesters voiced grievances ranging from the dire state of the economy to the recent state of emergency declared in Rivers State and the controversial Cybercrime Act.

In Ibadan, Oyo State, demonstrators held a peaceful protest under tight police supervision. However, events turned chaotic in Port Harcourt as police dispersed demonstrators with teargas at Isaac Boro Park. Some protesters and journalists were reportedly beaten during the crackdown.

Despite police objections, protesters claimed they had informed authorities of their intention to protest in a letter dated 3 April 2025.

“We are not here to incite violence,” one protester said. “This protest is to register our displeasure with the current state of affairs.”

Demonstrators in Rivers specifically demanded the return of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, saying his suspension was unconstitutional. “We have a social contract with our governor, not with a sole administrator,” a protester said. “This is a democracy.”

In Abuja, similar scenes played out as protesters gathered in Maitama were dispersed with teargas. The demonstration, spearheaded by the Take-It-Back Movement alongside other civil society groups, aimed to highlight what they termed the government’s growing authoritarianism, worsening economic hardship, and the misuse of the Cybercrime Act.

Protesters carried placards with inscriptions like “Stop the Repression” and “Let Us Breathe” as they marched through the capital.

Sowore was also present in Abuja to lend support. In a statement released on Friday, the movement’s National Coordinator, Juwon Sanyaolu, said the protest was meant to challenge the administration’s tightening grip on civil liberties and to demand immediate relief for Nigerians struggling with inflation and insecurity.