Protesters under the aegis of the “OSUN Take It Back Movement” trooped out onto the major streets of Osogbo, the Osun State capital, on Monday to register their grievances against the recent Cybercrime Act enacted by the government.
The protesters, who marched around the town, frowned upon the Cybercrime Act and described it as a means of gagging the masses.
Armed with banners bearing various inscriptions such as “Join the protest to repeal the Cybercrime Act” and “We will resist any act that will affect our freedom of speech”, they called on other Nigerians to unite in a formidable stand against the Act.
The Coordinator of the Movement, Comrade Lijofi Victor, in an interview with newsmen, said, “We are out today because of the resent Cybercrime Act, we are against it because we want our freedom of speech.”
“Many people have been imprisoned because they are speaking up which we are saying no to. Mr. President himself has led series of protests where, he talked and criticised certain things, but right now they want to silence us, which we are saying no to.”
ALSO READ: EFCC arraigns foreign nationals for cybercrime, plot to destabilise Nigeria
“We are not going to accept that until when he’s ready to change it. Help us to remove the cyber act and give us the freedoms of speech that we want.”
“We want to speak out, we don’t want anybody to imprison us, we want to have the autonomy of our speech.”
“A whole lot of journalists, security agents and civilians have been arrested across the country because they are speaking up, now they are bringing an act that will back it up so you can jail us? We are saying no to it.”
“We converged here at Olaiya, marched through Station Road, Oja Oba and back to Olaiya. We will continue the protest as long as they are not ready to listen to us,” he submitted.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE