The Nigeria Police Force has apprehended five participants in the #FearlessInOctober protests in Plateau State, reportedly coercing them into giving statements without access to legal counsel or their mobile phones.
SaharaReporters previously reported that the individuals—Yakubu Idris, Umar Faruq Dandina, Nura Abubakar, Khalid Sulaiman, and Umar Faruk—were taken into custody while they peacefully marched to voice their concerns over economic hardships and perceived anti-people policies by the government. Their current whereabouts were uncertain at the time of the report.
Sources close to the situation indicated that the protesters were compelled to write statements under duress. “They are being forced by police to write statements without the ability to contact their lawyers or use their phones,” the source disclosed.
In response to the arrests, the Take-It-Back Movement has demanded their immediate release. This protest is part of a larger national campaign advocating for reform and accountability in governance.
In a related incident, SaharaReporters noted that police in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, had violently dispersed another group of protesters on October 1, who were also voicing their frustrations over rising insecurity and poverty. Eyewitnesses reported that the police were accompanied by suspected political thugs who obstructed media coverage of the events.
This crackdown aligns with prior warnings issued by state police to deter any activities deemed potentially disruptive during the 64th Independence Day celebrations. The planned protest in Port Harcourt encountered immediate resistance from police, who arrived on the scene in large numbers.
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