A group of Nigerians under the aegis of the ‘Take It Back’ movement, on Monday, took to the streets of Lagos in protest against what they described as bad governance and the shrinking space for free speech in the country.
The protesters, who took off from Ikeja under Bridge at about 9.30a.m, marched along the Obafemi Awolowo Way solidarity songs. “We are hungry! What are we saying?” they echoed in unison, drawing attention from bystanders and passersby.
As of the time of filing this report, the protesters in their number, have passed the Allen Avenue junction and seem headed towards the Lagos State Secretariat in Alausa.
Organisers of the protest said the demonstration was aimed at demanding accountability from leaders and resisting the continuous clampdown on citizens’ rights to express dissent.
The protest is also holding simultaneously in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
The Nigerian police on Sunday advised the organisers to shelve the protest for being ill-timed.
According to them, it was michievous to hold the protest on a day designated to commemorate the National Police Day.
But responding to the police advice on social media on Sunday, the leader of the group, Omoyele Sowore, an activist and former presidential candidate, said there was no going back on the protest.
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