Amnesty International has called for the immediate and unconditional release of social media activist, Junaidu Abdullahi, also known as Abusalma, who was recently taken to Kano prison.
His detention followed a viral TikTok video he posted, calling for mass peaceful protests over far-reaching hunger in Nigeria.
In a statement shared on X, Amnesty International called out the Nigerian authorities for their unjust actions.
The organisation demanded that Abdullahi be released immediately and continued to call for respect in protecting the right to peaceful protest and freedom of expression.
Amnesty International’s statement also referred to a recent incident in February, where Kano State police command arbitrarily arrested Fatima Auwal, who led women local bread (Gurasa) bakers.
She had reportedly organised a protest against the unbearable hike in the price of flour, a critical ingredient for making bread.
”Nigeria’s current economic chaos came with unprecedented inflation that triggers high cost of food, medicine and hike in electricity tariff and tuition fees of public universities. These are placing undue stress on families, businesses, and communities,” the statement noted.
The Amnesty International call for their release is clear evidence that the Nigerian authorities have no respect for citizens’ rights to protest and express their grief.
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