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Popular Nigerian TikToker Junaidu Abdullahi, known as Abusalma, has been remanded in Kurmawa prison, Kano, following his viral video advocating for a mass protest against the ongoing hardship in the country. Security agents apprehended Abusalma on Wednesday, transporting him to Abuja before his remand.
Confirming the incident, Abusalma’s relative, Mustapha Hamza, recounted the distressing sequence of events.
“He left home in a hurry on Wednesday morning after receiving an urgent call around 8:30am. He left without even eating breakfast. That was the last time his family saw him,” Hamza stated. The family reported him missing to the police, who quickly issued a radio alert. Hamza continued, “I received a call on Friday around 5:30pm, informing me that Junaidu is at Kurmawa prison in Kano. Court 38 Zungeru Road ordered his remand and adjourned the case for three weeks.”
The controversy began when Abusalma posted a video urging Nigerians to protest peacefully against the rising cost of living.
“Any religious leader who spoke against peaceful protest over hardship, then he is not part of those suffering,” he said. Highlighting the financial struggles, he added, “I personally bought a bag of fertilizer at N49,000. That was the price of a sack of maize in the past.”
In the video, Abusalma insisted that peaceful protests were a constitutional right and necessary for expressing grievances.
“I am not calling for violence or destruction, but we will come out and protest in a lawful manner. It is the responsibility of government to deal with those that cause breakdown of law and order during the protest,” he clarified.
Despite his firm stance, he later deleted the video and issued an apology, urging people to avoid the protest to prevent potential disorder.
