‘I’m Not Aware Of That, Please,’ Nigeria Secret Police, DSS Spokesman Denies Arrest Of Former Shiite Spokesman And Almizan Newspaper Editor, Ibrahim Musa

Peter Afunanya, the spokesman for Nigeria’s secret police, the Department of State Services (DSS) has said he is not aware of the arrest of the Editor-in-chief of Almizan Newspaper and former spokesman for the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Ibrahim Musa.

SaharaReporters earlier reported that Musa had been arrested by the DSS while he was on his way to Medina, Saudi Arabia.

“His arrest by the secret police coincides with his birthday,” a source had told SaharaReporters.

“Ibrahim Musa was arrested today by the Tinubu regime via the Nigerian secret police (DSS) on his way to Medina, Saudi Arabia, to visit the Messenger of God (sa) on his birthday #Maulud.

“We call on the tyrannical Tinubu regime to immediately release the activist. This corrupt, brutal and inhuman regime has plundered millions of people into the extreme poverty bracket in just over 100 days in power.

“InshaAllah, we will keep our brothers and sisters posted on the illegal arrest of Brother Ibrahim Musa,” the source had added.

Musa’s family has called for his immediate release following his arrest on Wednesday at the Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano.

However, replying to a text message sent by our reporter on Wednesday, Afunanya simply said, "I'm not aware of that pls."

Meanwhile, a statement sent to SaharaReporters on Wednesday by Abdullahi Usman on behalf of Musa’s family confirmed the arrest.

The family said no reason had been given for Musa’s arrest and that he was with a family member identified as Binta Sulaiman when he was “abducted by Nigeria's secret police, DSS, at the Aminu Kano International Airport early morning on Wednesday while on his way to Saudi Arabia for the lesser Hajj (Umrah)”.

“This is announcing the abduction of the Editor-in-chief of Almizan newspaper, a weekly news magazine published in Hausa, Malam Ibrahim Musa, by the Department of State Service (DSS),” the family said.

The statement continued, “Meanwhile, no reasons have been provided by the authorities for his abduction even as he is known for his role in the call for the release of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky (H), who was arrested at the wake of a clampdown and extrajudicial killing of about 1000 of his followers by the Nigerian government in 2015 in Zaria, Kaduna state.

“He was part of the campaign that got the Federal High Court judgement ordering the release and compensation of Sheikh Zakzaky, the leader of Islamic Movement in Nigeria, for which it is believed the security agents who lost in the case are displeased.

“Human rights organizations, especially the Amnesty International (AI), had pressured the immediate past Governor of Kaduna state, Malam Nasiru Elrufai to publicly announce that his government had buried about 350 people killed in the extrajudicial killing in a mass grave at Mando village in Kaduna.

“Ibrahim Musa is known to have been active in speaking against the acts of state terrorism, extrajudicial killings and marginalization of a minority group of Muslims by the Nigerian Government under President Muhammadu Buhari.

“He placed his life on the line to ensure justice is done and thousands of those arrested following the state-managed mass murder were released by the government using available judicial means.

“We wish to call for the immediate release and safety of Malam Ibrahim Musa whose only crime is standing against genocide and disregard for law and order perpetrated by those in power under the Buhari regime.

“We also wish to draw the attention of the authorities and other stakeholders to the dangers behind extending the murder activities in which innocent men, women and children were extrajudicially killed by the immediate past regime, to the current regime of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“We want to believe that the current government of President Bola Tinubu would not want to identify itself with the abuse of democratic tenets, human rights abuse and intimidation through genocide perpetrated by the immediate past regime.

“Hence, we reiterate the call for his immediate and unconditional release.”