KEY POINTS
• Edo Take-It-Back Movement coordinator Clinton Onobumhe alleged that the DSS interrogated and threatened him over the planned June 12 protest.
• He claimed security operatives warned that he could have been arrested at the protest venue if he had ignored their invitation.
• The protest, organised to highlight hardship and insecurity, coincides with Nigeria’s Democracy Day celebrations.
The Edo State Coordinator of the Take-It-Back (TIB) Movement, Comrade Clinton Onobumhe, has alleged that operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, interrogated and threatened him over plans by the group to stage a June 12 protest against economic hardship, insecurity and governance issues under President Bola Tinubu‘s administration.
According to Onobumhe, the security agency warned that he could have been arrested at the protest venue if he had failed to honour its invitation.
Speaking on the incident, the activist said he decided to visit the DSS office after learning that the agency was making efforts to contact him over the planned demonstration.
He explained that he had gone to notify the security agency about the peaceful nature of the protest and discovered that officials were already seeking to speak with him concerning the exercise.
According to him, what initially appeared to be a routine meeting soon turned into an intense interrogation session.
Onobumhe claimed that he was questioned extensively about the planned protest and was informed that security operatives would have arrested him at the rally ground if he had not appeared before them.
“It almost seemed like a detention because I was being interrogated and they said if I hadn’t come today, tomorrow they would have come to pick me up on the protest ground,” he alleged.
DSS Initially Opposed Protest, Activist Claims
The TIB coordinator further alleged that DSS officials expressed reservations about the demonstration and indicated that they were not comfortable with the protest taking place.
However, he said the agency later allowed the planned rally to go ahead after he presented documents showing that the protest had been formally communicated to the Edo State Police Command.
According to him, he had submitted a letter to the Commissioner of Police, who responded by acknowledging the notice and assuring the organisers of security protection during the event.
“They made it clear that they didn’t want the protest, but they said since I have proof with me of my letter that the Commissioner of Police received and his response guaranteeing security, that’s the reason they will allow me go on with tomorrow’s protest,” he said.
The protest is scheduled to coincide with Nigeria’s Democracy Day celebrations on June 12, a date set aside to commemorate the annulled 1993 presidential election, widely regarded as one of the country’s freest and fairest polls.
Across several states, the Take-It-Back Movement and other civil society groups have announced plans to organise demonstrations to draw attention to the worsening cost of living, insecurity, unemployment and concerns over democratic accountability.
The organisers insist that the protests are peaceful and are aimed at demanding better governance and improved living conditions for Nigerians.
The development comes amid growing concerns among civil society groups and rights advocates over the relationship between security agencies and citizens exercising their constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and expression.
While security agencies often cite the need to maintain law and order, activists have repeatedly argued that peaceful protests are legitimate democratic tools for citizens to voice grievances and demand accountability from those in government.
As Nigerians mark Democracy Day, the planned demonstrations are expected to test the balance between public order and the constitutional rights of citizens to peacefully express their views.