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The Digest:

The Department of State Services has arrested Osun-based Islamic cleric Sheikh Daood Imran Molaasan, leader of the group Ta’awunu Muslimeen, following a pro-Palestine protest in Iwo, where participants waved Palestinian flags and performed gestures some likened to Nazi-style salutes.

Key Points:
  • The DSS arrested Sheikh Daood Imran Molaasan after a viral video showed him leading a pro-Palestine protest in Osun State.
  • The cleric heads the Islamic group Ta’awunu Muslimeen, which has a history of organizing similar demonstrations.
  • The video featured followers waving Palestinian flags, performing coordinated arm gestures, and children chanting religious slogans.
  • The protest raised public security concerns amid Nigeria's ongoing challenges with religious extremism.
  • The group describes itself as committed to Islamic teachings and global Muslim advocacy.
  • Social media reactions were divided, with some supporting the arrest and others questioning freedom of expression.
  • The DSS has not yet issued an official statement detailing the specific charges against the cleric.
This arrest underscores the Nigerian state's vigilance towards public assemblies that, while framed as global solidarity, may evoke symbols or actions perceived as threatening to national social cohesion.

Sources: The Nation, PM News