Rivers Police Clash with Protesters Over Governance Issues and State of Emergency

Babatunji Wusu –

• Rivers State Police fired tear gas at protesters on Monday, who were demonstrating against bad governance, the declaration of a state of emergency, and the misuse of the Cybercrime Act.

• The protesters, under the ‘Take It Back’ Movement, accused the police of using the Cybercrime Act to target activists, journalists, and social media influencers.

• Tensions escalated when police attempted to disperse the protesters at Isaac Boro Park, Port Harcourt, but the demonstrators refused to leave, asserting their right to protest peacefully.

• Amaye King Amaye, leader of the ‘Take It Back’ Movement in Rivers, vowed to continue protesting to ensure the voices of the people were heard and to challenge what they viewed as anti-people policies.

On Monday, operatives of the Rivers State Police Command used tear gas against protesters who were peacefully demonstrating against what they described as bad governance in the country. The protest, organized by the ‘Take It Back’ Movement, also opposed the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State and criticized the alleged misuse of the Cybercrime Act by the Nigerian Police.

The protesters claimed that the Cybercrime Act was being exploited by the police to target activists, journalists, and social media influencers. The situation escalated when police officers, who had stationed their vehicles in front of Isaac Boro Park in Port Harcourt, ordered the protesters to disperse. However, the demonstrators refused, asserting that they had the constitutional right to hold a peaceful protest.

Following the incident, Amaye King Amaye, the leader of the ‘Take It Back’ Movement in Rivers State, spoke to the press, stating that the group would regroup and continue their efforts to amplify the voices of the people of Rivers. Amaye emphasized that the protest was in response to what they believed were anti-people policies by the federal government and their call to reinstate the democratically elected Governor of Rivers State.