Group Mobilises Nigerians For August 5 ‘Festival Of The Oppressed’ Protest Against Hardship. The Take It Back Movement has announced plans to stage a nationwide protest on August 5, accusing the Federal Government of failing to address worsening insecurity, the rising cost of living and what it described as a growing clampdown on democratic freedoms. The protest, christened the Festival of the Oppressed, is intended to provide Nigerians with a platform to express dissatisfaction over the country’s socio-economic and political conditions under the administration of President Bola Tinubu. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the movement’s National Coordinator, Juwon Sanyaolu, said the demonstration would spotlight the plight of millions of Nigerians grappling with hardship, insecurity and shrinking civic space. According to the group, persistent attacks by armed groups and kidnappers have continued to expose citizens to danger, with communities in Borno, Zamfara, Katsina, Niger, Plateau, Oyo, Kaduna and Benue states among those reportedly affected. “Nigeria is bleeding. Across every region of the country, ordinary people are paying the price for the failures of those in power,” the statement said, alleging that families were increasingly left to negotiate ransoms for abducted relatives while authorities offered little beyond assurances. The movement also blamed the country’s worsening economic conditions on the removal of fuel subsidy and the continued depreciation of the naira, arguing that both had fuelled inflation and pushed the cost of essential goods and services beyond the reach of many Nigerians. It said soaring food prices, escalating transportation costs and declining purchasing power had left millions unable to meet their basic needs. The organisation further accused the government of deploying the Cybercrime Act to stifle dissent, alleging that journalists, activists, students, labour organisers and other citizens had faced harassment, arrests and prosecution for expressing critical views. It also raised concerns over what it described as political persecution, insisting that democracy could not flourish in an environment where dissent was criminalised. The group called for improved welfare for Nigerian workers, including members of the armed forces, police personnel, teachers, nurses and civil servants, maintaining that a living wage was essential for dignity and productivity. It equally condemned recurring xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa and urged the relevant authorities to guarantee the safety of Nigerians and other Africans residing across the continent. Among its demands are improved security and the rescue of citizens held in captivity, the release of political detainees, the repeal of the Cybercrime Act, implementation of a ₦500,000 national minimum wage, measures to address the rising cost of living, the withdrawal of charges against activist , the removal of the President’s Chief of Staff, , the dismissal of the Director-General of the Department of State Services, , and the protection of Nigeria’s sovereignty. Describing the planned demonstration as more than a conventional protest, the movement said it would bring together workers, students, professionals, market women, farmers, artists and journalists whose voices, it claimed, had been ignored by those in authority. It urged Nigerians to participate peacefully in the August 5 protest, insisting that sustained democratic engagement remained necessary to compel accountability and responsive governance. “Our demands are just. Our rights are non-negotiable. Our future must be reclaimed. Enough is enough,” the statement added.
