President Bola Tinubu has sent a message of goodwill and congratulations to Nigerian Muslims on this year’s commemoration of the Maulud Nabiy, the birthday of Prophet Muhammad.

The President urged Muslims to use the period for deep reflection and remembrance of the Holy Prophet’s exemplary conduct and noble teachings.

“As we mark the Maulud, we should all reflect on the life lived by Prophet Muhammad, exemplified by purity, selflessness, perseverance, kindness and compassion. We must endeavour to imbibe those virtues,” he said.

In a statement issued to newsmen by Special Adviser to the President o Information and strategy Bayo Onanuga said President Tinubu also urged the Muslim faithful to dedicate the Maulud holiday to pray for the country and show empathy and compassion toward one another.

The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested the convener of #RevolutionNow Movement, Omoyele Sowore, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.

Sowore was arrested at the airport on Sunday immediately upon his arrival in Nigeria.

Sowore was arrested at the airport on Sunday immediately upon his arrival in Nigeria.

SaharaReporters earlier on Sunday reported that members of the Take It Back Movement and other activists had besieged the airport to await the activist’s return to the country.

Sowore had been with his family in the United States.

His flight left the Washington Dulles International Airport at 6.14 EDT and arrived in Lagos at around 9.43 WAT.

On Thursday, September 12, 2024, SaharaReporters exclusively reported that a DSS memo ordering the arrest of the convener of Sowore upon his arrival in Nigeria had leaked.

Following the report, Sowore lambasted the DSS for issuing a directive for his arrest on his arrival in Nigeria, disclosing that his intention was to return to the country ‘very soon’.

In a post on his X account on Thursday, Sowore said, “The current administration, led by Tinubu, has demonstrated an upgraded inability to effectively track and apprehend terrorism suspects, bandits, and kidnappers, while the @officialEFCC has yet to arrest former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.

“Meanwhile, the lawless @OfficialDSSNG has upgraded my status and name on their “watchlist” for arrest upon arrival in Nigeria.”

“It is imperative to recognise that our country Nigeria requires salvation and our people need liberation, which will necessitate considerable effort. I intend to return home shortly, I mean very soon,” he said.

Earlier in September, SaharaReporters reported that Nigeria’s secret police, DSS, had instructed airport security and immigration authorities to intercept and detain Sowore upon his arrival in Nigeria.

It was learnt that the directive, issued by the newly appointed DSS Director General, Adeola Ajayi, stemmed from Sowore’s role in the recent 10-day #EndBadGovernance protests.

The memo obtained by SaharaReporters last Thursday read, “DSE: 94/6203 X WATCHLIST ACTION X EYE AM DIRECTED TO INFO Y OURS THAT X THE DGSS HAS APPROVED THE UPGRADING OF WLA

B’ (REPORT ARRIVAL AND DESTINATION BY TELEPHONE IMMEDIATE LY) TO WLA ‘F’ (DETAIN TRAVELER AND ESCORT WITH BAGGAGE TO NHSS) X VIDE DSE: 9A/6201 X AGAINST OMOYELE SOWORE X AN AC TIVIST/FOUNDER OF SAHARA REPORTERS INC. X AN ONLINE NEWS AGENCY X THIS IS FOR YOUR STRICT COMPLIANCE X PLEASE X.”

The memo was signed by Adeola D. Ali for NISEC NHSS.

Meanwhile, a trusted source at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos recently revealed to SaharaReporters that Ajayi had included Sowore’s name on a security watchlist, citing his involvement in the #EndBadGovernance protests and forthcoming October 1 demonstration as justification.

“The new DSS boss forwarded Sowore’s name to airport security for him to be arrested whenever he enters the country,” the source said.

During an interview on September 4, 2024, with Cordelia Okpei on “The Voice of the Peoples” programme, Sowore revealed startling information.

The human rights activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) confirmed that he had received credible intelligence that his name had been submitted to airport security personnel by the newly appointed DSS Director General.

According to Sowore, the directive mandates his immediate arrest upon arrival at the airport. Furthermore, Sowore criticised the new DSS helmsman for prioritising political vendettas over addressing the pervasive insecurity that has brought Nigeria to its knees.

He stated, “We have drawn our next protest which is in October. They called me several times. They have my name at the airport. I am on their watchlist as I was told by several people. So, they will most likely arrest me when I return to Nigeria but that will not stop me. I will go to Nigeria whenever I want to go to Nigeria, it is my country. I don’t have any other country other than Nigeria.

“So we have to face these guys down. We have seen many oppressors, bullies and tyrants in our lifetime. But that is not the issue; the issue is that these people have done more damage to the Nigerian civil populace than they have done to anywhere else.

So I don’t know why I would be wasting my time advising the new guys there who came to do the bidding of the president. Even as I am speaking with you, the new DSS guy transmitted to the airport yesterday my name again just to refresh the memory of the security at the airport that if I come into the country, I should be arrested and brought to his office.”

Sahara Reporters

The Nigerian Democracy Working Group has praised the Chairman of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC), Prof. Sani Lawan Malumfashi, for his commitment to conducting inclusive and transparent local government elections in the state

The Democracy Working Group, comprising civil society organizations, academics, and activists across Nigeria, has closely monitored KANSIEC’s efforts. They specifically lauded Prof. Malumfashi’s compliance with a recent court ruling from Abuja, which ordered the reduction of nomination form fees for candidates. This move was seen as a vital step towards promoting fairness and inclusivity in the election process.

In addition, the group’s convener, Dr. Vincent Okpara Innocent, highlighted Prof. Malumfashi’s outreach to opposition parties, ensuring that all political entities participate in the elections. The commission’s open dialogue and transparent policies were described as model practices for other states to follow.

The group expressed confidence in the Chairman’s leadership and commitment to democracy, emphasizing that KANSIEC’s inclusive approach would lead to credible and widely accepted elections. Prof. Malumfashi’s experience, having managed similar elections before, was seen as a key factor in the process.

Dr. Okpara Innocent concluded the statement by pledging the group’s support to KANSIEC and wishing Prof. Malumfashi and his team success in conducting fair and peaceful elections in Kano State.