The police have confirmed the arrest of Abubakar Gossima, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), following a directive reportedly influenced by a top aide to the Jigawa State Governor.
Gossima was arrested on Thursday along the Kafin Hausa–Bulangu highway by operatives of the Special Investigation Unit of the Nigeria Police Force and was taken directly to Abuja.
His arrest followed a social media post considered offensive by a politician seeking a seat in the House of Representatives.
Although the police have not officially disclosed the reason for the arrest, associates of Gossima say it was triggered by a Facebook post in which he criticized the political ambition of an aspirant contesting the Auyo and Kafin Hausa Federal Constituency seat in the 2027 general elections. He did not mention any politician by name.
“We are not so politically backward that we would vote for that irresponsible boy as our member in the House of Representatives,” Gossima reportedly posted in Hausa on his verified Facebook page.
The complainant, Mr. Aliyu Hussain Usman, who currently serves as the Special Assistant on Intergovernmental Affairs to Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State — and is also a former personal assistant to a former Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Adamu — allegedly considered the statement a direct attack on him and reported the matter to the Nigeria Police Force.
However, in a statement issued on Saturday, the Jigawa State Police Command clarified that it was not involved in the operation and that the arrest was carried out by a federal police unit.
“For the purpose of clarity and record correction, the Command wishes to state unequivocally that the arrest of Abubakar Gossima was carried out by operatives of the Special Investigation Unit of the Nigeria Police Force,” said the Command’s spokesperson, SP Shiisu Lawan Adam.
He further explained that the unit “has nationwide jurisdiction to investigate complex, sensitive, and high-profile crimes,” adding that “the arrest was carried out in accordance with due process and the police’s constitutional responsibility.”
The Command urged media platforms and members of the public to verify facts with the police before circulating reports.
Meanwhile, friends and associates of Gossima have expressed concern over the arrest, describing it as an attempt to stifle free expression and political criticism in the state.
Mustapha Bulangu, a close associate of the arrested politician, told newsmen that the arrest was politically motivated and aimed “to silence dissent.”
All efforts by Kano Times to contact Mr. Aliyu Hussain Usman for comment were unsuccessful, despite several phone calls and text messages.
As of Monday, Gossima remains in custody in Abuja. It is unclear whether any formal charges have been filed against him.
