Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has distanced itself from the planned nationwide protest tagged “Take It Back”. President of the group, Isha Abubakar, stated that such demonstrations can cause tensions and destabilize the economy of the country.
Abubakar stressed that the current economy of the country calls for restraint, dialogue and national unity rather than street protest. Thereafter, he urged Nigerians to be calm and take actions that will improve the situation and not worsen the situation.
He continued by saying that previous nationwide protests that happened in the country were fruitless due to hoodlum interference. The president noted an example of the END SARS protest against police brutality which later destroyed lives and properties.
Meanwhile, the council has vowed to work with government agencies to ensure youth voices are heard through lawful means. The youth body pledged to work with stakeholders to ensure that peace and national stability presides over national instability.
In the same way, the group appeals to Nigerians to remain calm, avoid violence and trust authorities to address the issues. Speaking further, the council urges Nigerian youth to channel all their energy toward building a better and progressive nation.
Likewise, the youth council advised Nigerians to be patient and vigilant, emphasizing the need to take peaceful and strategic measures
The nationwide protest comes following the call to end bad governance and insecurity going on in the country.
The protest has also been going on in other states like Lagos, Oyo, Akure, and others, agitating for good governance.
One of the protest organizers, Sanyaolu Juwon disclosed that the Nigerian government is suppressing its citizens with the Cybercrime Act. He noted that the protest calls for immediate repeal of the act for citizens to have free speech.
To sum up, the Take It Back Movement is reportedly a pro-democracy and advocacy group founded by human activist Omoyele Sowore in 2018. The group gained national attention during the revolution protest which called for reforms in the government and security sector.
