The media was recently abuzz with news of the arrest of a student of the Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State, Aminu Muhammad Adamu on the orders of the wife of the president, Aisha Buhari.
According to reports, Adamu, 23, was picked up by security operatives on November 8 on the university campus and severely tortured before he was transferred to Abuja where the alleged torture continued and he was illegally detained for weeks.
Trouble started for the student on June 8, 2022, when he tweeted a photograph of Mrs Buhari with the caption “Su mama anchi kudin talkawa ankoshi”, loosely translated as “the mother has gotten fatter by eating masses’ money.”
The tweet apparently didn’t go well with the president’s wife, who was said to have ordered his arrest.
News of Adamu’s arrest and detention without trial sparked outrage from Nigerians as well as local and international organisations.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) also said it was planning a nationwide protest against Mrs Buhari.
Following the outrage, Adamu was secretly arraigned in court and remanded in the Suleja correctional facility in Niger State on the order of Justice Yusuf Halilu of a High Court of the FCT.
He was, however, released from prison unconditionally on Friday and scheduled to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House on Saturday.
In spite the interest the matter has generated, because of her personality, Mrs Buhari is not the only politically exposed person that has arrested people for making remarks they were uncomfortable with on social media.
Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano
One governor who has gained some sort of notoriety for arresting those who critise him is Kano State governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
In 2019, it was reported that a social media critic, Salisu Hotoro, was arrested by men of the State Security Service (SSS) from his home in Hotoro, Kano, for criticising Ganduje.
In November 2021, one Mua’zu Magaji was arraigned before a Kano state Magistrate Court for allegedly calling Governor Abdullahi Ganduje a thief on Facebook.
Danbala was arraigned alongside one Jamilu Shehu on several charges for defaming the character of the governor and his children, Abdul’aziz and Balaraba, on social media.
The duo was alleged to have conspired to post the image and portrait of the governor and his children Abdulaziz and Balaraba,with a caption: ‘Barayin Kano’ (Kano Thieves).
In November 2022, two men, Mubarak Muhammad and Nazifi Bala, were arraigned before the Kano Magistrate’s Court 58 for defaming the Kano governor
The duo was alleged to have in a video posted on TikTok, accused the governor of selling people’s land and oversleeping.
They were eventually sentenced to 20 strokes of cane, 30 days community service and also ordered to pay additional N20,000fine each as well as make a video on social media and tender an apology to the governor.
Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa
Also in the league of governors who have arrested critics over comments made on social media is Governor Muhammadu Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa State.
In June 2017, a critic of the governor, Zakari Kafin Hausa, was arrested and detained for several days for criticising him on social media.
Similarly, in 2020, one Sabi’u Ibrahim Chamo was arraigned before a chief magistrate’s court sitting in Dutse, for defaming the character of Governor Abubakar, when he made a post on Facebook alleging that the governor had duped many aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by collecting their money to give them party tickets.
Chamo was later charged to court for failure to substantiate the allegations and sentenced to six months in prison, with option of payment of N20,000 fine and 20 strokes of cane.
Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa
In 2021, a businessman, Ali Numan, was arrested, arraigned before Magistrate Japhet Ibrahim Basani of the Chief Magistrate Court 2, and remanded in prison custody for allegedly insulting Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State on social media.
It was alleged that Numan had on the 11th, 12th, 13th, 17th, 20th and 29th of July 2021, criticised the governor and published in Hausa and Fulfulde languages on his Facebook page, describing the governor as “a thief and father of all thieves in Nigeria,” and also claimed that Fintiri stole noodles, spaghetti and hundreds of billions of naira.
Bala Mohammed of Bauchi
In May 2022, President of the National Union of Bauchi State Students’ Association (NUBASS), Bauchi State University, GadauBranch, Comrade Aminu Harsanu Guyaba, was arrested allegedly on the orders of Governor Bala Mohammed, over a Facebook post he made, allegedly accusingthe governor of enriching himself and his family while residents of the state were left to wallow in penury.
“We will explain to people how Bauchi State Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed enriches himself and his children while he left Bauchi citizens in abject poverty,” he allegedly wrote on Facebook.
Following his arrest, Guyaba was reportedly arraigned at the Bauchi Magistrate Court II after he was forced to delete the Facebook post by the police.
Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom
Earlier this year, the Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, ordered that a 40-year-old Facebook user, IdongesitEzekiel Idiok, popularly known as “Soundcraft”, be remanded in Ikot EkpeneCorrectional Centre for defamation against the character of governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State.
The court order followed a petition to the Police over a case of criminal defamation of the character of the governor in a charge of cybercrime levelled against him by the Police.
Idiok was said to have made a social media post on March 16th, 2022, containing offensive words against the governor, which the complainant described as false and malicious, an offense punishable under Section 24 (1) (b) of the Cybercrime Prohibition, Prevention Act 2015.
He had in the alleged post, accused Governor Emmanuel of having an affair with one of his female cabinet members.
Earlier in 2019, a banker worker, Michael Itok, who claimed to have worked as a steward to the governor, was arraigned before a Magistrate Court in Uyo, by the SSS and remanded in prison for allegedly writing various articles against the governor and other officials of the state government.
David Umahi of Ebonyi
In similar circumstances, the police in Ebonyi State, allegedly acting on the orders of the state governor, David Umahi, in October 2021, arrested and detained a journalist, Godfrey Chikwere over his Facebook posts.
Chikwere was reportedly arrested by the police following a petition by the government accusing him of “hate speech, incisive publication and cyberbullying.”
Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa
In October 2013, a businessman, TonyeOkio, was arrested and remanded in prison for allegedly criticising the Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson, on his Facebook account.
Okio, also a former Abuja Liaison officer for Bayelsa State, was arrested by the police at his Abuja residence and taken to Yenagoa, stripped of his mobile gadgets and all posts on his Facebook account, ‘Tonye Okio’, about the governor deleted.
The police confirmed his arrest after two days, saying it was for seditious publications against the governor.
Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia
In April 2020, it was reported that a human rights activist, Emperor Gabriel Ogbonna, was arrested and remanded in prison custody over an alleged false publication against the Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu.
Nasiru El-Rufai of Kaduna
In 2019, an activist and social media commentator, Steven Kefas, was arrested and detained for 150 days for allegedly inciting disturbance and injurious falsehood by posting some of his views on social media platforms which were considered injurious to Kaduna State governor, Nasirel-Rufai and capable of causing breach of peace.
His arrest followed two petitions to the police by the then special adviser to Governor Nasir el-Rufai on Legal Matters, Aisha Dikko, a Local Government chairman, Cafra Caino.
Also in Kaduna, the police in May 2022 arrested one Husaini Galadima over an alleged post on his Facebook page complaining about Senator Uba Sanirepresenting Kaduna Central Senatorial District for reneging on his promise to give him a permanent job after working for him for about five years.
Husaini was allegedly arrested in a market by armed policemen and taken to Metro Police Station at Tundu Wada.
Dapo Abiodun of Ogun
In May 2022, men of the SSS reportedly arrested a blogger, Ahmed Olamilekan, for allegedly publishing a story on the alleged criminal records of Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, in the United States.
Olamilekan’s lawyer, Festus Ogun, had accused the governor of instigating his client’s arrest, adding that Abiodun had the right to challenge the publication in court instead of using the DSS to harass the blogger. As of August, he was still in detention because he could not meet his bail conditions.
Gboyega Oyetola of Osun
In April 2020, it was reported that the OsunState Government dropped its case against a young man, Zirhid Akinloye.
Akinloye was facing a four count-charge bordering on peddling of falsehood on the social media against the government
Governor Gboyega Oyetola was reported to have directed the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Femi Akande, and Ministry of Justice to discontinue the trial.
Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti
In October 2022, it was reported that theRapid Response Squad (RRS) unit of the Ekiti State Police Command, acting on the orders of the immediate past governor, Kayode Fayemi, detained the Welfare Officer of the Ekiti State University chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr. Tope Bankole.
Bankole, reports said, was arrested by RRS operatives following a petition by Fayemiaccusing him of “cyberstalking and criminal character assassination.”
The lecturer had accused the former governor of mismanaging N8 billion ecological funds belonging to the state and allegedly posted the allegation on a closed WhatsApp Group, “EKSU JKF Forum”.
Also in October 2022, the police in Kwara State charged a journalist with Sobi FM, Dare Akogun, and his brother, Abdulrasheed Akogun, before a Magistrate’s Court sitting in Ilorin over some WhatsApp engagements indicting RafiuAjakaye, Chief Press Secretary to the governor.
The duo, reports said, made some comments on a WhatsApp Platform, “KwaraCommission”, claiming the CPS to the governor facilitated the payment of N15 million to some candidates in the recent Nigerian Union of Journalists’ election to influence the outcome, a claim which was described by Ajakaye as untrue and fake news.
Ajakaye subsequently petitioned the police who invited the brothers and charged them with inciting disturbance, spreading injurious falsehood and being responsible for criminal defamation.
Samuel Ortom of Benue
In March 2021, it was reported that the police in Benue State, allegedly acting on the orders of Governor Samuel Ortom, detained an activist and social critic, Atsar Gundu, over one of his Facebook posts where he x-rayed the governor’s handling of insecurity in the state.
Gundu, according to reports, was interrogated by the police in Jos, Plateau State and his phones were seized from him, after which he was locked up in a cell and later taken to Makurdi for interrogation.
Aminu Masari of Katsina
In 2017, a Katsina Chief Magistrate’s Courtsentenced one Gambo Saeed to nine months imprisonment for insulting and defaming the character of Governor AminuMasari on social media.
Saeed, according to the police, was arraigned following complaints received from Mansur Ali Mashi, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Radio Monitoring, that the accused abused Masari and called him names on social media, accusing the governor of influencing the impeachment of Speaker of state House of Assembly, Aliyu Muduru.
The accused was found guilty of the charges and sentenced to three years imprisonment on each of them.
Similarly, in October 2021, the police in Katsina arrested a 39-year-old man, Ahmed Abdulmumini, for allegedly cyber-stalking a governor’s aide.
The police said Abdulmumini’s arrest followed a complaint by Governor Masari’sSpecial Adviser on Domestic Affairs, AlhajiIbrahim Umar, who alleged that the accused made derogatory remarks about him in an email.
Abdulmumini was consequently arrested and confessed during interrogation to have sent the e-mail, thus committing an offence under Section 24 (1) A & B of the Cybercrime Act, 2015.
Douye Diri of Bayelsa
It is worth mentioning that early in November, Festus Keyamo, minister of state for labour, lampooned Governor Douye Diri, of Bayelsa, over the arrest of Ebikpoemi Ugo, spokesman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
Ugo was said to have been arrested by operatives of the Bayelsa police command over alleged defamation through some Facebook posts critical of the Diri regime and subsequently charged to court.
Keyamo, had asked Usman Baba, inspector-general of police (IGP), to direct the Bayelsa police command to withdraw the charges against Ugo.
“It is on record that despite the deluge of misinformation and abuses against President Muhammadu Buhari on a daily basis on social media, he has never for once used the police to clamp down on anyone as a result of a mere defamatory post on social media.
“Instead, he even conferred some of them with national honours recently. If the APC governors retaliate in their various States by clamping down on officials of opposition parties, it will be an invitation to total chaos across the country.
“It is unfortunate that there is always a tendency to see it as “oppression” only if it is an act of the ruling party.
“However, the press and the entire gamut of civil society cannot apply a different standard because this dastardly act is being perpetrated by an opposition governor,” Keyamo said.
