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How TikToker Junaidu Abdullahi was Arrested for Calling for Anti-Hardship Protest

Published by Tope Fakinlede on July 22nd, 2024.

How TikToker Junaidu Abdullahi was Arrested for Calling for Anti-Hardship Protest

Junaidu Abdullahi, a popular TikTok personality known as Abusalma, has been arrested and remanded in prison after posting a viral video calling for protests against economic hardship in the country.

Security agents detained Abusalma on Friday, and he was subsequently arraigned in court, leading to his remand in a Kano prison.

The incident follows a growing movement among youths in the North planning a protest under the hashtag #EndBadGovernment, which has gained significant traction. Abusalma, in support of the protest, made a video urging action against religious leaders who opposed the protest. In the now-deleted video, he stated that any Islamic cleric speaking against the protest should be removed from the pulpit.

“Any religious leader who speaks against peaceful protest over hardship is not among those suffering,” Abusalma said. “And whoever stops you from expressing your grievances to your leaders through peaceful protest as provided by the constitution is not among those who can’t afford a sack of maize at N100,000.”

The arrest and remand of Abusalma have added to the tension surrounding the planned protest, highlighting the ongoing public discontent with economic conditions.