Two APC members and tricycle operators were jailed five years in Borno for forming a WhatsApp protest group, sparking accusations that Governor Zulum is silencing dissent.
Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, has come under fire following allegations that his administration ordered the arrest and imprisonment of two All Progressives Congress (APC) members and tricycle operators for creating a WhatsApp group to mobilize protests.
Court documents show that Mohammed Bukar, alias Awana, and Ibrahim Mohammed, alias Babayo, were convicted on June 30, 2025, by Justice A.M. Ali, and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment. They were accused of forming the “Zanga Zanga” WhatsApp group to mobilize Keke Napep riders for an “End Bad Governance” protest in Maiduguri.
Prosecution witness Sgt. Isa Abubakar testified that the men posted videos in Hausa and Kanuri urging riders to join the protest, including one that said: “Allah Yaisa Zulum two Billion Namu,” meaning “May God punish Zulum for our two billion.”
While some defendants, including minors, were given lighter sentences such as community service and caning, Bukar and Mohammed received the maximum five-year term. Families of the convicts accused the state government of political persecution and mismanagement of funds meant for operators.
The case has sparked outrage, with critics describing the governor as “power-drunk” and stifling dissent in the state.