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Ayomide Awe
The Kano State Police Command has denied allegations that it prevented members of the “Tinubu Must Go” movement from accessing a venue for their scheduled meeting, insisting that its intervention was motivated by security concerns.
Police Commissioner Ibrahim Bakori said the command recognized citizens’ constitutional right to peacefully assemble, but said notifying police would allow officers to take adequate security measures for the event, which is expected to attract around 700 participants.
The refusal followed a protest on Sunday by members of the movement, who accused police of preventing them from accessing a private facility they had reportedly paid to use for their meeting.
Led by the movement’s initiator, Abba Hikima, the protesters subsequently took to the streets, chanting “Tinubu Must Go” and waving flags bearing the movement’s insignia.
In a live video shared on his verified Facebook page, Hikima said more than 10 mobile police vehicles had been deployed to the scene to prevent members from entering the facility.
He described the alleged blockade as a violation of their civil rights, arguing that citizens were not required to obtain police permission before holding a peaceful gathering.
However, Bakori, in an interview with DCL Hausa, said he contacted Hikima after learning about the planned event on social media and invited him to discuss security arrangements with the command.
According to the commissioner, he also asked the organizers to postpone the meeting pending further discussions, but he received no response to subsequent invitations.
Bakori insisted that the police had no intention of denying the group the right to assemble, adding that the command had provided security for its activities on previous occasions.
“It is their right to come and organize their rally. Nobody will stop them and the law does not require them to inform us,” the commissioner said.
He, however, stressed that alerting the police is important to enable the command to anticipate possible security threats and prevent the breakdown of law and order.
“However, notifying us is important because it allows us to regulate the event and ensure that there are no tensions,” he added.
The police chief cited a recent security incident in Kano’s Sabon Gari area, where he said officers seized weapons and arrested some people who claimed to have traveled to the state for political activities.
He said the investigation into the incident is ongoing, stressing that the command’s priority is to protect the organizers, their supporters and other residents.
The movement, however, maintained its opposition to the police action, with Hikima criticizing the inspector general of police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, and Bakori for what he described as the interference of political considerations in the performance of their duties.
Hikima insisted that the alleged blockade violates the movement’s rights and promised that its members will continue to organize protests and demonstrations.
This development has brought renewed attention to the balance between citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly and the responsibility of security agencies to maintain public order, particularly as political activities gain momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Although the police commissioner denied ordering a ban on the gathering, the movement’s allegations raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the deployment of security personnel at the event site.
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