Take-In-Back Movement: Police Beat Up, Forcefully Disperse Protesters In Rivers State

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Rivers State Police Command, on Monday, April 7, 2025, applied a high handed approach in handling the Take-It-Back protesters in Port Harcourt.

The movement had, by  9.00am, begun to amass at the Isaac Boro Park in keeping with its promise of protesting against the recently proclaimed state of emergency in Rivers state ,as well as the dysfunctional state of affairs in the country at large.

But the protesters’ quest for a peaceful ventilation of their anger was interrupted, following their forceful dispersal by the Police who fired several canisters of tear gas at them.

The Police had earlier opposed the timing of the nationwide protest ,insisting the organizers called it off ,for coinciding with its celebration of the ” Police Day.

The gathering of the protesters at the Isaac Boro Park was met with heavy police presence,bwho were apparently more protective of the state of emergency in Rivers than the beleaguered residents.

However ,the refusal of tge protesters to disperse as demanded led the police to start beating them up, including journalists covering the peaceful march.

Further resistance resulted in the Police firing tear gas canisters indiscriminately, in addition to molesting the protesters.

The Police persisted in their suppressive manner ,even when the movement, comprising mainly Civil Society Groups decided to move to the streets, especially the ever busy Port Harcourt/Aba Expressway.

The Police operatives continued to fire tear gas at the protesters ,forcing them to scamper in different directions.

The Force Public Relations Officer Olumuyiwa Adejobi, however, questioned the motives of the organizers of the nationwide protest.

He, particularly, berated the protesters for choosing same day as the widely recognized day to honour men of  the Force that sacrificed for the peace and unity of the country for their action.