Nasir Hassan Yelwa, a journalist and member of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), was arrested by police on Tuesday while covering a Maulid procession in Abuja.
The procession, organised by members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, also known as the Shiite group, was held to commemorate the birth of Prophet Muhammad.
According to eyewitnesses, Yelwa was invited to cover the peaceful gathering but was arrested by police officers around 2 p.m. in the Apo area of the Federal Capital Territory.
“Police arrested Nasir Hassan Yelwa, a journalist and member of NUJ, today at the Apo area during the Maulid procession. He was taken shortly after covering the event and is currently being detained at the Abattoir facility, the former SARS headquarters,” a source told SaharaReporters.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the police nor NUJ officials have issued an official statement on the arrest.
Sahara Reporters
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