Police defend blockade of ‘Tinubu Must Go’ protest venue in Kano

Kano State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, has defended the police blockade of a venue booked by members of the ‘Tinubu Must Go’ (TMG) movement for a meeting, citing security concerns and the need to prevent a breakdown of law and order.

Bakori said the police were concerned about the safety of the organisers, participants and residents, particularly as the gathering was expected to attract about 700 people.

However, the CP acknowledged the movement’s right to peaceful assembly but maintained that notifying the police would have enabled the command to assess potential risks and make adequate security arrangements.

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Bakori said he contacted Hikima on Saturday night after seeing social media posts about the planned gathering and advised him to engage with the police command over security arrangements.

According to the commissioner, he asked the lawyer to notify the command so that officers could protect the participants and other residents during the event.

“What happened is that, in the first place, it is their right to come and organise their gathering. Nobody will stop them, and the law does not require them to inform us.

“However, notifying us is important because it allows us to regulate the event and ensure there is no tension, that nobody attacks them and that they do not engage in any activity in Kano that can constitute an offence,” he said.

Members of the movement had protested on Sunday after alleging that police officers prevented them from accessing the private venue they had booked for the meeting.

One of the conveners, Abba Hikima, a lawyer, alleged in a live video posted on his verified Facebook page that more than 10 mobile police vehicles were deployed to the venue to stop the gathering.

One of the conveners, Abba Hikima, a lawyer, alleged in a live video posted on his verified Facebook page that more than 10 mobile police vehicles were deployed to the venue to stop the gathering.

Hikima described the action as a violation of the group’s fundamental rights, arguing that the law did not require police permission to organise a meeting.