DSS arrests Nigerian youth for mobilizing #EndBadGovernance protest in Sokoto

 

The Department of State Services (DSS) has reportedly arrested Aliyu Sanusi, a young Nigerian in Sokoto State, for allegedly printing and distributing materials for the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest.

The arrest was disclosed by human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, who also demanded Sanusi’s immediate release.

Sowore, the Convener of the #RevolutionNow movement and a former presidential candidate, shared on his platform that Sanusi was apprehended on Monday evening in Sokoto’s Sama Road area. He criticized the DSS for what he called a “lawless” act and urged them to release Sanusi promptly.

Meanwhile, the DSS had recently released another youth, Bashir Abubakar, who was arrested in Kano for supporting the planned nationwide protest against economic hardships in Nigeria. Harun Magashi, Abubakar’s lawyer and former presidential running mate to Sowore, confirmed his client’s release on Monday. However, the DSS instructed Magashi to surrender the T-shirts Abubakar had printed for the protest.

The arrest of Aliyu Sanusi has sparked concerns over freedom of expression and the right to protest in Nigeria, with activists like Sowore condemning what they perceive as crackdowns on dissenting voices.