Amnesty International has cautioned President Bola Tinubu’s administration, including the Nigeria Police, against any clampdown on Nigerians planning to protest against authoritarianism, violation of human rights, and misuse of the Cybercrimes Act by the government.

This came after a group, the Take-It-Back Movement, announced that it was embarking on a planned nationwide protest on Monday (April 7) to demonstrate against the oppression of Mr Tinubu’s administration.

Amid the planned protest, the Lagos police command has asked the protestors to shelve their demonstration, saying intelligence reports revealed that criminals may want to use the opportunity to cause mayhem and unrest in the country.

“Intelligence report at the Command disposal reveals a plan by some subversive groups parading themselves as Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and other misguided anti-government forces, to incite nationwide protest on 7th April 2025 aimed at drawing the attention of the Government to their perceived prevailing high cost of living and free speech suppression.

“Furthermore, the groups have flooded the social media platforms with narrations geared towards winning public sympathy, discrediting the government and galvanising support for the protest. Experience has shown that criminals may want to seize the opportunity of the protest to cause mayhem, particularly to launch attacks on government facilities and opposition leaders to disrupt socio-economic activities in the State, amongst others,” the police said in a circular.

But Amnesty International said the people must be allowed to exercise their right to peaceful protest, adding that any act capable of undermining their freedom of assembly is illegal.

It further explained that such acts also undermine their rights to move en masse and show unacceptable intolerance of peaceful dissent.

“The Nigerian authorities must ensure that security agencies respect and facilitate the right to peaceful protest, as guaranteed by both the country’s own constitution and human rights treaties including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Nigeria is a state party. Government officials must also refrain from issuing rhetoric aimed at demonizing protesters and stifling peaceful dissent. The planned protest should be an opportunity for authorities to listen to the voices of the people and uphold freedom for all.”

“Authorities must not use the proposed nationwide protests as a ploy to crackdown on human rights including the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. People must be allowed to freely exercise their right to peaceful protest. Any act capable of undermining freedom of assembly is illegal and portrays unacceptable intolerance of peaceful dissent.

“Authorities must show a commitment to upholding the country’s constitutional and international human rights obligations by allowing people to freely exercise their human rights including the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association,” the group said in a statement issued by its director, Isa Sanusi, on Sunday.