Deji Adeyanju to be arraigned for ‘promoting terrorism’ on social media

Deji Adeyanju, a political activist and convener of Concerned Nigerians, was on Monday released from prison custody and subsequently re-arrested.

Adeyanju had been initially arrested for alleged criminal conspiracy.

TheCable had reported how Adeyanju and two others were picked up on Wednesday in Abuja during a protest tagged: ‘Police Are Not Politicians, Save Our Democracy’.

The protesters had trooped to the streets to demand the neutrality of the police in the forthcoming general election.

Jimoh Moshood, police spokesman, had said Adeyanju was found guilty of making inciting statements on social media.

The three were subsequently arraigned before a magistrate court in Karshi, Abuja, for allegedly committing “joint act of criminal defamation, disturbance of public peace, threat security and safety and inciting public disturbance”.

They were granted bail yet remanded in prison custody in Keffi, Nasarawa state “after they failed to meet the bail conditions”.

RELEASED BUT RE-ARRESTED

Ariyo-Dare Atoye, a known associate of Adeyanju, announced on Monday that the activist had been released from police custody.

“This is Deji Adeyanju. Very fine and doing fine. His latest pictures,” he tweeted.

https://twitter.com/AriyoAristotle/status/1069649596593385473?s=19

TheCable, however, gathered the activist was rearrested for allegedly “promoting terrorism on social media”.

Concerned Nigerians said via its Twitter handle that Adeyanju was arrested based on a petition written by Tukur Buratai, chief of army staff.

The group said Adeyanju will be charged to court on Tuesday.

According to the group, “our convener @adeyanjudeji is out of prison and will be charged to court tomorrow morning. He’s being charged to court following a petition from the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Burutai for allegedly promoting terrorism on social media”.

BREAKING: Our convener @adeyanjudeji is out of prison and will be charged to court tomorrow morning. He’s being charged to court following a petition from the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Burutai for allegedly promoting terrorism on social media.

He is well and in good spirit. pic.twitter.com/WNf2FdCywW

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— Concerned Nigerians (@ConcernedNIG) December 3, 2018

TheCable is unable to independently verify the claim.

Both Jimoh Moshood, police spokesman, and Sani Usman, army spokesman, were yet to respond to enquiries made as at when this report was filed.