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The Nigerian police on Tuesday arrested Nasir Hassan Yelwa, a journalist and member of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), while he was covering a public Maulid procession in Abuja.
SaharaReporters gathered that the demonstration was organised by members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), popularly called Shiites, alongside other Muslim worshippers to mark the Maulid, the birthday of Prophet Muhammad.
An eyewitness told SaharaReporters that Yelwa was invited to cover the peaceful procession but was picked up by policemen in the Apo area of the capital around 2 p.m.
“Police arrested Nasir Hassan Yelwa, a journalist and member of NUJ, today at Apo area during the Maulid protest. He was arrested after covering the Maulid procession by 2 p.m. He is presently detained at Abattoir (the former SARS office),” the source said.
