DSS Releases Bashir Abubakar Arrested In Kano For #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria Protest, Threatens To Seize Branded T-Shirts
Magashi told SaharaReporters that Abubakar was released on Monday but the DSS had ordered him to bring the T-shirts he printed advertising the planned #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria nationwide protest.
The Department of State Services (DSS) has released a Nigerian youth, Bashir Abubakar, who was arrested in Kano, the Kano State capital on Sunday over support for the planned nationwide protest against economic hardship in Nigeria.
Barrister Harun Magashi, Abubakar’s lawyer and former presidential running mate to Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 general elections, confirmed Abubakar’s release on Monday.
Magashi told SaharaReporters that Abubakar was released on Monday but the DSS had ordered him to bring the T-shirts he printed advertising the planned #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria nationwide protest.
“We are holding his case now and will do the necessary,” Magashi added, also noting that they were following up with the case of Junaidu Abdullahi, a well-known TikTok creator, who goes by the handle Abusalma, who was arrested and remanded in prison custody last week.
Also confirming Abubakar’s release, the convener of #RevolutionNow movement, Omoyele Sowore, on X platform said, “The team of lawyers sent to the @OfficialDSSNG today secured the release of Bashir Abubakar from the DSS dungeon; Bashir was the youth activist from Kano who was accused of producing #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria T-shirts in Kano.
“The lawless @OfficialDSSNG insists that he relinquish the remainder of his merchandise to them, but we’ve instructed our lawyers to resist that move; if the @OfficialDSSNG wants the t-shirts, they must pay the prevailing market price.
“They will not be allowed to Confiscate Bashir’s merchandise after unlawfully brutalising him.
“Meanwhile, we have dispatched lawyers to Kano prison to commence proceedings to free a second victim of the @OfficialDSSNG, Kano-based TikToker, Junaidu Abdullahi who was remanded in prison for disseminating information about #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria, #DaysOfRage, #Revolutionnow.”
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SaharaReporters earlier reported that convener of #RevolutionNow movement, Sowore, warned the DSS that taking Abubakar to “a kangaroo court” and sending him to prison would backfire.
Sending Abubakar Arrested For Advertising T-shirts Supporting #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria Protests To Prison Will Backfire, Sowore Warns DSS
Jul 22, 2024
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Sending Abubakar Arrested For Advertising T-shirts Supporting #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria Protests To Prison Will Backfire, Sowore Warns DSS
Sowore, a former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in 2019 and 2023, issued the warning after a team of lawyers sent to the DSS headquarters, visited Abubakar on Sunday and confirmed he was being detained by the secret police.
Abubakar was arrested in Kano, Kano state capital for advertising T-shirts supporting the upcoming nationwide protests against economic hardship in the country.
The DSS spokesperson, Dr Peter Afunanya, denied the allegation when contacted by SaharaReporters on Sunday.
But Sowore, in a post on his X platform (formerly Twitter) said when the team of lawyers visited the DSS office, the secret police which had denied arresting Abubakar, however, admitted having him in custody after they were confronted with evidence.
He said that as the lawyers demanded the immediate release of Abubakar, the DSS pleaded that they needed more time to process him.
Sowore said that it was obvious that the DSS wants to buy more time to rush Abubakar to court and send him directly to prison as they did to Junaidu Abdullahi, popularly known as Abusalma, warning that such an action would backfire.
Also, SaharaReporters on Sunday reported that Abdullahi was arrested and remanded in prison custody after he posted a viral video calling for widespread protests against the country’s economic hardship.
According to reports, security agents detained Abusalma on Wednesday and transported him to Abuja, where he was subsequently arraigned in court and remanded in Kano prison.
