Five members of the Nigeria Patriotic Front Movement (NPFM), including its National Chairman, Abdulmajid Yakubu Daudu, have been arrested by the police in Kano State.
The activists were detained after responding to an invitation by the state police commissioner, CP Salman Dogo Garba, for a meeting at 2 pm on Monday.
Following their arrest, they were reportedly transferred from Kano Police Headquarters to the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) in Abuja, under a directive from the NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. The others arrested include Yusha’u Sani Yankuzo, Amina Bello, Sani NaRogo, Anas, and Abdullahi.
According to sources, their phones were confiscated. “They were taken from Kano police headquarters to Abuja NSA’s office. All their phones were seized by the police,” a source revealed.
The circumstances of their detention and the meeting remain unclear, raising concerns about the rights of political activists.
Attempts to contact the Force spokesperson, ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, and Kano police public relations officer, Abdullahi Haruna, were unsuccessful, as they did not respond to calls or text messages.
In a statement signed by Al Amin, the NPFM Secretariat confirmed the arrests and expressed concern about the whereabouts of their members. The statement described the events: “Abdulmajid Yakubu Daudu left his office this afternoon at around 2:30 pm to attend a meeting with the Kano state Commissioner of Police at Bompai Headquarters. He was with four other NPFM members. As of 7:42 pm, they have not returned. Their whereabouts are unknown, and efforts to reach them have failed.”
The NPFM Secretariat also recalled that on Sunday, September 29, 2024, Abdulmajid and his colleagues held a press conference in Kano, announcing a nationwide National Survival Day protest scheduled for October 1, 2024. The protest aimed to address issues such as the cost of living and governance.
The statement highlighted demands raised by Abdulmajid, including fuel prices, food inflation, high governance costs, corruption, insecurity, and the re-nationalization of the NNPC(L) and electricity distribution services (DISCOs).
The NPFM called on activists nationwide to raise awareness until Abdulmajid and his colleagues are safely returned, stressing the urgency of addressing their disappearance.
