The Yobe State coordinator of the Take-It-Back Movement (TIB), Abubakar Jawa, and a social media influencer, known as Flag Boy, have been reportedly arrested by police in Yobe State and Abuja respectively.
Naija News reports that Jawa and Flag Boy were reportedly arrested while participating in a protest against the Cybercrime Act, organized by TIB Movement.
According to Sahara Reporters, Jawa and three others, Mohammed Kayeri Adam, Suleiman A. Gambo, and Maimuna Abba, were arrested by police in Damaturu, on Monday.
The social media influencer, Flag Boy, was arrested by police near Transcorp Hilton in Maitama, in Abuja.
However, the Yobe State Police Public Relations Officer, Dungus Abdulkarim, denied the arrest of any protesters or TIB movement members by the police.
“As far as the police are concerned, we don’t know any TIB movement coordinator or members in the state and we have made our doors open for any members or coordinator to come out and be identified with police so that police can provide security backing ahead of the protest. But we are yet to see anyone. So police have not arrested a TIB member or its coordinator,” Abdulkarim said.
On Flag Boy, Abuja protesters led by former African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, were blocked from accessing the Eagle Square and Federal Secretariat by police officers.
Police fired tear gas canisters at the protesters, triggering chaos in the area, the protesters and journalists sought refuge inside the Transcorp Hilton.
Sahara Reporters reported that Flag Boy, who was holding the national flag, was singled out by the police, assaulted, and subsequently taken away in a police van, along with two other demonstrators.
