The Lagos State Police Command has activated an extensive security operation ahead of a planned nationwide protest set for Monday, April 7, 2025.
The alert follows intelligence reports indicating that several groups, operating under the guise of civil society organisations (CSOs), are mobilising for demonstrations across Nigeria.
In a circular signed by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Tijani O. Fatai, the Command warned of coordinated efforts by "subversive groups" to incite mass protests over the country’s skyrocketing cost of living and the alleged suppression of free speech.
The protest is reportedly being spearheaded by the Take-It-Back (TIB) movement, in collaboration with allied rights groups.
“Intelligence report at the Command’s disposal reveals a plan by some subversive groups parading themselves as Civil Society Organisations (CSOs)... to incite nationwide protest... aimed at drawing the attention of the Government to their perceived prevailing high cost of living and free speech suppression,” the circular stated.
The police expressed concern that the protest could be hijacked by criminals and hoodlums looking to sow chaos, attack government installations, and disrupt public life.
In response, the Commissioner of Police has ordered a full-scale security lockdown of critical infrastructure and strategic locations across Lagos.
The locations under special watch include major protest hotspots such as Gani Fawehinmi Park, the National Stadium, Labour House Yaba, Lekki Toll Gate, Ojuelegba, and the Ikorodu Roundabout, among others.
The police outlined their mission: to ensure peaceful protests, prevent hijacking by criminal elements, secure public infrastructure, and guarantee uninterrupted daily life for law-abiding citizens.
Special units—including the Rapid Response Squad, State CID, Counter-Terrorism Unit, Anti-Bomb Disposal, and various Police Mobile Force teams—have been deployed to enforce order.
These forces are strategically positioned at filling stations, government buildings, media houses, markets, hospitals, parks, and major transportation terminals to forestall any breakdown of law and order.
Meanwhile, the Take-It-Back (TIB) movement has vowed to go ahead with the demonstrations. In a press briefing, TIB National Coordinator, Juwon Sanyaolu, laid out the protesters' demands, chief among them the repeal of the controversial Cybercrime Act and an end to what he described as "military-style governance" in Rivers State.
He condemned the alleged abuse of the law to arrest journalists and suppress dissent, and called for the immediate reinstatement of democratic institutions in Rivers State, where the State House of Assembly and the executive have been at loggerheads.
Sanyaolu stressed that the protests would not be limited to Abuja but would take place simultaneously in multiple states, including Lagos, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, and Kano.
The Lagos State Police have advised residents to go about their lawful activities but warned that any attempt to incite violence or disrupt peace will be met with the full force of the law.
As the nation braces for April 7, all eyes are on how both protesters and security forces will conduct themselves amid growing tension and public discontent.
Source: Daily Post