Emergency Rule: Police Fire Teargas at Take-It-Back Protesters in Port Harcourt

Police officers in Port Harcourt fired teargas at demonstrators on Monday morning as members of the Take-It-Back Movement gathered at Isaac Boro Park to stage a protest. The rally, which began around 9am, was met with heavy police presence. Eyewitnesses reported that officers chased and physically assaulted some protesters and journalists covering the event.

Despite warnings from police, the demonstrators insisted on proceeding with what they described as a peaceful protest. “Nobody can tell us where not to gather, we are Rivers people,” one protester said to officers on the scene. The group maintained that they had notified the Rivers State Police Command of the protest in a letter dated April 3.

One protester told reporters the demonstration aimed to express their dissatisfaction with several issues, including the repeal of the Cybercrime Act and the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara. “As it is, we have no government. This government in Rivers State is alien to our people; it is unconstitutional,” he said. “We have a social contract with the governor and not the sole administrator. This is democracy.”

The protest in Rivers State is part of a broader wave of demonstrations spreading across Lagos, Oyo, and other parts of the country, with participants calling for good governance.

In response to the planned protests, the Nigeria Police Force had on Sunday advised organizers to cancel the demonstrations. Force spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi said the timing was inappropriate, as it coincided with National Police Day. He described the protests as potentially harmful to the image of the police and the country, calling the move “ill-timed and mischievous.”