Tension in Sokoto as Youths Protest Detention of Mai Barewa
By Fahad Faruk Galadanchi
Tension was reported in parts of Sokoto metropolis on Monday as some youths took to the streets to protest the continued detention of one Dahiru Mai Barewa, following a court order for him to remain in custody.
The protesters blocked some roads and called on the authorities to release Mai Barewa.
The demonstration, however, reportedly escalated into a confrontation with security personnel after some protesters allegedly attempted to forcefully take Mai Barewa away from the authorities.
Mai Barewa is facing allegations of threatening to kill two Islamic scholars, Sheikh Musa Ayuba Lukuwa and Malam Murtala Bello Assada. Reports said videos allegedly showing him threatening to attack the two clerics had surfaced.
The alleged threats were reportedly linked to a dispute over comments concerning the parents of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), while other reports attributed the disagreement to differences between Mai Barewa, some Islamic scholars and authorities.
Earlier this week, authorities arraigned Mai Barewa before a court, which ordered that he be remanded in a correctional facility pending further investigation and legal proceedings.
His supporters condemned his continued detention, insisting that the matter should be handled through due process of law.
However, authorities and other stakeholders appealed to the public not to take the law into their own hands, urging them to allow the courts and security agencies to handle the matter.
Following the confrontation, security personnel were deployed to restore calm, while residents of Sokoto were urged to avoid any action capable of further threatening peace and security in the city.
