The Integrity Youth Alliance has called for calm over the “Take-It-Back Movement,” planned nationwide protest focusing on demands for the repeal of the Cybercrime Act and rejecting various “anti-people policies” enacted by President Tinubu’s regime.
Reacting to a social media traction of the “Take-It-Back Movement” calling for a “Nationwide Protest Against Bad Governance And Free Speech Suppression,” the National Coordinator of the Alliance, Kelvin Adegbenga, said that most of the protests in Nigeria are usually hijacked by opposition elements to push their own political or parochial ethnic agendas in an attempt to discredit the government or wrest power.
“We are aware of Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that guarantees the right to peaceful assembly and association, allowing individuals to gather freely and associate with others, including forming or belonging to political parties, trade unions, or other associations, but the Take-It-Back Movement should embrace dialogue as a non-adversarial technique rather than embarking on protest on a busy Monday, Adegbenga said.
The statement further said that the protests can lead to the temporary shutdown of businesses due to safety concerns or destruction of property. This disruption can result in lost revenue for business owners and employees.
“The Federal and State Governments are yet to recover from the negative impacts of the 1st August 2024 protest, which resulted in the wanton loss of lives and property. Nigeria cannot afford to experience another “Nationwide Protest Against Bad Governance And Free Speech Suppression.”
“One of the major agendas of the protest is the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024), which provides a legal framework for cybercrime in Nigeria, addressing offences like unlawful access, data theft, and cyberterrorism, with the 2024 amendment focusing on aligning with the Nigerian Data Protection Act and addressing emerging threats.
“The Take-It-Back Movement should know that it is very difficult to build, but it is the easiest to destroy; therefore, the movement should shelve the protest and go into dialogue with the National Assembly leadership to effect any changes in the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024).
“Nigeria cannot afford to lose another N300 billion like it lost to the August 2024 #EndBadGovernance protests that rocked the entire country, the statement concluded.
