Protest: Atiku’s campaign coordinator remanded in prison over Jigawa APC secretariat burning

A magistrate court in Jigawa State has remanded Umar Danjani, and 73 others over alleged arson, at the head office of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

Mr Danjani, the Jigawa youth leader of the PDP campaign council for Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 presidential election, was remanded alongside the others in the correctional facility in Birnin Kudu Local Government Area.

The police spokesperson in the state, Lawan Adam, said Mr Danjani was arrested at the APC secretariat during the EndBadGovernance protest in Dutse, the state capital.

The police said the suspects were charged with criminal conspiracy, mischief by fire, rioting, disturbance of public peace, theft and destruction of billboards.

The police commissioner in Jigawa, Abdullahi Tijjani, at a press conference on Saturday, said Mr Danjani was arrested on day one of the protest alongside the other suspects.

“Some unscrupulous and unpatriotic elements who are bent on destabilising the polity decided to use and engage under-aged children and teenagers, leading to violence and destruction of public properties in the state capital, and other places.

“They engaged in the destruction of government properties and disruption of economic activities in the state and the security agents were left with no option other than to use minimal force to disperse the violent protesters.

“The violent protests spread to some local government areas such as Hadejia, Birnin Kudu, Gumel, Kazaure, Babura, and some other areas.

“About 312 suspects have been arrested out of which 74 of them have been charged to court,” the police commissioner said.

Reaction

Reacting to the development, Amnesty International faulted the remand of Mr Danjani calling for his immediate release.

In a statement on its X handle, Amnesty International said subjecting critical voices to intimidation and arbitrary acts is unlawful.

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“Amnesty International calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Umar Danjani – one of the protesters against hunger, who was hurriedly remanded in Birnin Kudi prison. Subjecting critical voices to intimidation and arbitrary arrests for speaking out is unlawful,” Amnesty said.