Police in Borno State have arrested the legislative aide of Senator Ali Ndume and two of his supporters in Biu town, detaining them in Maiduguri, the state capital.
The aide’s wife, Amina Kachalla, confirmed that her husband, Shehu Usman Aliyu (Babandi), was arrested alongside Tasiu Hassan Malgwi and Ibrahim Adamu.
“I’m appealing to the police to release my husband. He is our breadwinner, and we have been suffering since the day he was arrested,” she said.
The spokesman for the Borno State Police Command, Kenneth Daso, confirmed the arrests, stating that they were based on an intelligence report.
“They were arrested based on intelligence, and the investigation is ongoing. I will follow up on the case and keep you updated,” he added.
Although the PPRO did not provide details of the case, other supporters attributed the arrests to an aborted solidarity rally they had organized in response to Ndume’s removal as chief whip of the Senate.
Reports last week indicated that the ousted chief whip’s supporters, including youth and women’s groups, clubs, and associations, had planned to stage a rally in Biu town last Saturday but ultimately canceled it due to what they described as a fragile security situation in the state.
A press statement signed by Ndume’s Senior Legislative Aide (Media), Junaid Jubrin Maiva, read: “The general public is hereby informed that the solidarity rally scheduled to take place on July 28, 2024, in Biu, in support of Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, representing Borno South Senatorial District, has been canceled.”
Maiva noted that the cancellation was made in light of potential conflicts with a proposed nationwide protest and concerns over possible disruptions.
A family source in Biu revealed, “The three of them were arrested last Sunday in Biu by a team of armed policemen and whisked away to Maiduguri for interrogation.”
It was learned that the police authorities have secured a court order to detain the alleged organizers of the solidarity rally pending the conclusion of the investigation.
Tension is also rising among the senator’s supporters in southern Borno, who criticize the arrests as a witch-hunt.
