Amnesty International has urged the Nigerian government, under Chief Bola Tinubu, and the Nigeria Police to respect the rights of citizens planning to protest on Monday, April 7, against perceived authoritarianism, human rights violations, and misuse of the Cybercrimes Act.
The global human rights organisation issued the warning following an announcement by the Take-It-Back Movement, which revealed plans for a nationwide demonstration. The protest is aimed at expressing opposition to what the group describes as increasing oppression under the current administration.
In response, the Lagos State Police Command has advised the group to cancel the planned protest, citing intelligence reports that suggest subversive elements may hijack the event to incite violence and attack government facilities.
The police alleged that some civil society organisations and anti-government groups are using social media to gain public sympathy and discredit the government.
The police said in a circular, “Intelligence report at the Command disposal reveals a plan by some subversive groups parading themselves as Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and other misguided anti-government forces, to incite nationwide protest on 7th April 2025 aimed at drawing the attention of the Government to their perceived prevailing high cost of living and free speech suppression.
“Furthermore, the groups have flooded the social media platforms with narrations geared towards winning public sympathy, discrediting the government and galvanising support for the protest. Experience has shown that criminals may want to seize the opportunity of the protest to cause mayhem, particularly to launch attacks on government facilities and opposition leaders to disrupt socio-economic activities in the State, amongst others.”
However, Amnesty International has insisted that the right to peaceful protest is guaranteed by Nigeria’s Constitution and international treaties, including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Nigeria is a signatory.
The director, Isa Sanusi in a statement, revealed, “The Nigerian authorities must ensure that security agencies respect and facilitate the right to peaceful protest, as guaranteed by both the country’s own constitution and human rights treaties including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Nigeria is a state party. Government officials must also refrain from issuing rhetoric aimed at demonizing protesters and stifling peaceful dissent. The planned protest should be an opportunity for authorities to listen to the voices of the people and uphold freedom for all.”
“Authorities must not use the proposed nationwide protests as a ploy to crackdown on human rights including the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. People must be allowed to freely exercise their right to peaceful protest. Any act capable of undermining freedom of assembly is illegal and portrays unacceptable intolerance of peaceful dissent.
“Authorities must show a commitment to upholding the country’s constitutional and international human rights obligations by allowing people to freely exercise their human rights including the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association,” the statement added.
