A coalition of civil society groups, Take It Back (TIB) and the Talakawa Parliament (TP), on Monday staged a peaceful protest against the Cybercrime Act, describing it as a tool to suppress freedom of expression in Nigeria.

The Protesters, in their numbers, stormed the Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA), carrying banners with inscriptions such as: “Repeal/Revoke the Cybercrime Act, Threatening the Voice of the People,” “End Bad Governance in Nigeria,” and “Declare State of Emergency on Security and Improve the Economy.”

Addressing Journalists during the protest, Comrade Afiz Lawal said the Cybercrime Act was designed to muzzle Nigerians and prevent them from speaking truth to power.

“There are numerous pressing issues in the country—economic hardship, insecurity—that need urgent attention, but instead, the focus is on curtailing freedom of expression through the Cybercrime Act,” Lawal said.

He urged the Federal government to redirect its energy toward initiatives that will benefit the masses, rather than enacting laws that stifle their voices.

Also speaking, the leader of the Talakawa Parliament, Kola Edokpayi, lamented the worsening state of the country, alleging that some Nigerians now resort to scavenging from dustbins to survive.

He said the Cybercrime Act was aimed at silencing citizens and violating their right to free speech as guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution.

Edokpayi called on the government to focus on policies that would uplift the living standards of the people rather than oppress them.

He concluded by urging the Federal government to live up to its primary responsibility of protecting the lives and property of Nigerians instead of implementing what he described as anti-people policies.