The Take-It-Back Movement (TIB) has voiced its strong opposition to the Nigerian government’s use of the controversial Cybercrime Act of 2024, which it claims is being misused to suppress dissent and silence critics, including journalists, human rights activists, and social media users.
During a global press conference at Dover Hall in Ikeja, Lagos, on Thursday, the organization demanded the immediate and unconditional repeal of the law, calling it an oppressive tool used by President Bola Tinubu’s administration and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to quash free expression in Nigeria.
The conference, led by TIB National Coordinator, Comrade Sanyaolu Juwon, highlighted various instances where the Cybercrime Act had been weaponized to target opposition figures such as Omoyele Sowore, Dele Farotimi, Olamide Thomas, Olumide Ogunsanwo, and Fisayo Soyombo. The movement argues that rather than combating cybercrime, the act is a mechanism for political persecution and the criminalization of dissent.
Juwon criticized the Act as “a weapon of mass suppression” that aims to silence voices of opposition, including activists, journalists, and ordinary Nigerians using social media platforms like Twitter and TikTok to express their opinions.
“The Cybercrime Act has not been about fighting cybercrime; it is a tool for silencing Nigerians who dare to challenge the corrupt and illegitimate powers that be,” Juwon declared. “It has turned into a form of digital shackling that stifles the freedom of expression.”
The TIB further demanded an end to the harassment and persecution of citizens under the guise of enforcing cybercrime laws, calling on Nigerians to resist any attempts to suppress digital spaces. The organization stressed the need to safeguard the rights guaranteed in the Nigerian Constitution, particularly the freedom of speech.
In response to the government’s increasing oppression, the TIB announced plans for mass protests and demonstrations to pressurize the government into repealing the Cybercrime Act. Juwon condemned the law as an attack on democracy, saying, “This Act is an affront to the fundamental rights enshrined in our constitution and seeks to turn Nigeria into a surveillance state.”
Juwon pledged that the TIB would continue to fight for a country where freedom of expression is a guaranteed right, vowing to continue the battle until the Cybercrime Act is consigned to history.
“We will fight for a Nigeria where free speech is not a privilege, but a fundamental right,” he affirmed.