June 12 protest organisers seek Lagos police protection
Organisers of the June 12 Democracy Day protest, the Take It Back Movement, have written to the Lagos State Police Command, seeking protection for protesters.
The TIB Coordinator in Lagos, Adekunle Taofeek, in an open letter to the Lagos Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, said the letter served as formal and public notification of the protest.
In the Tuesday letter obtained by PUNCH Online, Adekunle said, “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.”
According to the organisers, June 12 is not a date for silence but a reminder that Nigerians never begged for freedom. “We have fought for it. And we will continue to fight, peacefully but fearlessly, until this country works for all of us.”
“Protesting is not a request; it is a constitutional right. sections 39 and 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) grant every Nigerian the freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. No law gives the police the power to crush or criminalist peaceful dissent.”
He added, “Therefore, 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, “We expect your men to behave professionally and with restraint.“
June 12 has been marked Democracy Day in Nigeria by the Federal Government, stemming from the history of the June 12 1993 presidential election where the victory of Moshood Abiola at the poll was annulled by the military junta led by Ibrahim Babangida.
This year commemoration also marks 26 years of democratic rule in Nigeria since transition from military rule in 1999.
