Mathew Amaechi
The Take It Back Movement, organisers of the upcoming June 12 Democracy Day protest, have formally requested protection from the Lagos State Police Command as they prepare to mobilise citizens for a nationwide demonstration against insecurity and economic hardship.
In an open letter dated Tuesday, June 10, 2025, and addressed to Lagos Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, the group’s Lagos coordinator, Adekunle Taofeek, stressed that the protest would be peaceful, constitutional, and resolute.
“On June 12, 2025, the people of Nigeria, young and old, working class and unemployed, angry and awake, will take to the streets in peaceful protest against the unbearable insecurity and economic hardship that have strangled this nation,” the letter reads.
June 12, officially recognised as Democracy Day, commemorates the annulled 1993 presidential election widely considered to have been won by Chief Moshood Abiola. The day has since become symbolic of Nigerians’ fight for civil liberties and democratic governance.
“For us, June 12 is not a date for silence, but a reminder that Nigerians never begged for freedom,” Taofeek said. “We have fought for it. And we will continue to fight, peacefully but fearlessly, until this country works for all of us.”
The group invoked Sections 39 and 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which guarantee freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. “Protesting is not a request; it is a constitutional right,” the letter declared. “No law gives the police the power to crush or criminalise peaceful dissent.”
In the appeal to police authorities, the organisers urged restraint and professionalism from security operatives. “We demand that the Lagos State Police Command desist from any attempts to suppress, brutalise, or arrest peaceful protesters. Deploy officers to protect protesters, not to harass or assault them,” the letter added.
This year’s protest comes at a time of mounting public discontent, with inflation, unemployment, and security concerns dominating national discourse. For many Nigerians, Democracy Day is not just a celebration of electoral history—it’s a platform to demand real democratic dividends.
The protest, if allowed to proceed without interference, will mark another chapter in the country’s enduring tradition of civic resistance—one that has shaped Nigeria’s journey since its return to democratic rule in 1999.
