ABUJA, Nigeria — Conveners of the 2024 #Endbadgovernance protest don declare nationwide protest against emergency rule wey dey happen for Rivers State and wetin dem dey call the misuse of the Cybercrime Act by police to hunt activists, journalists, and social media influencers.
Di protest, wey go happen on April 7, 2025, don tag: “Nationwide Protest Against Bad Governance and Free Speech Suppression.” Di Take It Back (TIB) Movement, wey be one of di organizers from last year’s protest, don share flyer for social media platform X, calling supporters make dem gather for National Assembly for Abuja, di Federal Capital Territory.
In one interview wey we get on Monday, National Coordinator of TIB, Juwon Sanyaolu, tok say di main demand na to repeal di Cybercrime Act. He talk say, “Dis act dey suppress free speech, and we don see how journalists and activists dey suffer under am, including social media users like SeaKing and others.”
Sanyaolu still add say dem dey call for an end to di emergency rule for Rivers State. “Dis emergency rule wey President Bola Tinubu impose na like military rule. We need to reverse dis action, make dem restore all di government bodies wey dem don suspend, like di State House of Assembly and di Executive too,” he conclude.
President Tinubu, on March 18, 2025, declare emergency rule for Rivers State because of di ongoing political wahala wey dey happen between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and di State House of Assembly wey dey loyal to former governor Nyesom Wike. Dis emergency rule go last for six months with Tinubu appointing one sole administration to run di state.
Dis decision don cause plenty wahala, as many don dey accuse di president of breaching di Nigerian constitution. However, di National Assembly don back Tinubu’s decision. “Most importantly, we dey call for an end to bad governance. Di policies of dis administration don cause plenty suffering for di people,” Sanyaolu talk for phone.
Him explain di protest no dey confined to Abuja alone. “Na national protest be dis. Flyers for more locations go come out soon,” he add.
Di police don dey talk say dem no dey hunt journalists or suppress press freedom through di Cybercrime Act wey dem amend in 2024. But since last year, plenty journalists don face crackdowns under di act. Victims include Segun Olatunji from First News and Dayo Aiyetan, Executive Director of di International Centre for Investigative Reporting.
Di police spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, don post video on Facebook last month, where he emphasize say spreading falsehood, defamation, and malinformation dey criminal offenses. “Whether na content creator, blogger, or journalist, make sure say you verify your stories before you come online to share falsehood.”
“Di Nigeria Police force no dey witch-hunt anybody wey dey criticize di government. We dey arrest and prosecute persons wey dey spread falsehood, fake news, and misinformation to discredit individuals and institutions,” Adejobi state.
Dis protest dey come at a time wey concern dey grow among journalists and media figures over di use of di Cybercrime Act to silence dissent. As e be, di fight against bad governance and suppression of free speech go continue under di leadership of Tinubu.
