A pro-democracy coalition, the #TakeItBack Movement, has sounded a clarion call to Nigerians and the international community, accusing the Nigerian government of orchestrating a clandestine plot to disrupt communication networks ahead of the much-anticipated nationwide protest scheduled for April 7, 2025.
In a fiery statement released to SaharaReporters on Sunday, Comrade Ufezime Nelson Ubi, Deputy Coordinator of the Delta State chapter, alleged that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), in concert with “desperate and panicked powers,” has directed major telecom operators—MTN, Glo, Airtel, and 9mobile—to deliberately tamper with network services across strategic protest zones.
“As the sun begins to rise on a new chapter in Nigeria’s civic awakening, the air is thick with determination. April 7th is more than a protest—it is the people’s mandate,” the statement declared.
The movement painted a vivid picture of a country at the brink of a democratic reckoning. “It is a national rebuke to years of silence, pain buried beneath the weight of failed promises, and suffocating hardship. From the bustling streets of Lagos to the creeks of the Niger Delta, the cry is the same: Enough is enough.”
Ubi warned that the group has received “credible intelligence” suggesting that orders have been issued from high-ranking officials to intentionally disrupt network signals in protest hotspots—an act the movement calls not just unconstitutional but a cowardly attack on democratic freedoms.
“This is not merely a technical tactic. It is a betrayal of the people’s right to organize, to speak, to connect, and to demand better. It is an assault on civil liberty and a blatant abuse of power,” Ubi thundered.
The #TakeItBack Movement, known for its vocal stance against corruption and policies that impoverish the masses, emphasized that no level of sabotage would dampen its resolve.
> “No matter how dark the skies grow, no matter the dirty tactics deployed, this movement cannot be silenced. We were not built on data—we were built on truth. We were not called by hashtags—we were called by hardship,” the group affirmed.
“This protest was not born in cyberspace. It was born in the soul of a suffering people.”
The statement also took aim at the controversial Cybercrime Act, branding it a “draconian tool of repression” used by the state to gag free speech, persecute journalists, and intimidate dissenting voices.
> “The plan to cripple communication ahead of April 7 is not an isolated act. It fits into a larger, systematic pattern of authoritarianism, now being codified under the guise of the Cybercrime Act. This law has transformed from a digital protection measure into a digital muzzle—weaponized against those who dare to speak truth to power.”
Calling for the immediate repeal of the Act, the movement warned that no democracy could thrive when digital platforms are used as surveillance tools and when laws are crafted to shield the corrupt while suffocating the people.
> “No free society survives where laws are written to gag the people and protect the corrupt.”
Ubi maintained that the government’s desperation underscores its fear of a nationwide uprising.
> “We see their fear. That’s why they are scrambling to shut down networks. That’s why they lean on flawed laws to justify their persecution. But fear cannot save them from the inevitable—Nigeria is rising, and there is no turning back.”
With protests expected to erupt in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt, and other major cities, the group says April 7 will mark a definitive turning point in Nigeria’s democratic journey.
> “They can cut the signals, but they cannot cut the signal of resistance. They can disrupt the networks, but they cannot disrupt our spirit. They can hide behind the Cybercrime Act, but they cannot hide from the people.”
The statement concluded with a powerful note of defiance and resolve:
> “You can shut down the networks, but you can’t shut down the people. You can slow the data, but you can’t slow the revolution.
April 7th is unstoppable. This movement is irreversible. The people are ready.”
PIONEER NEWS 