Nigeria’s First Lady Aisha Buhari on Friday withdrew a case against a final year student of the Federal University, Dutse, Aminu Mohammed after a national outrage.
The student was arrested, reportedly tortured, arraigned before a Federal High Court Abuja and remanded in Suleja prison.
The final year student allegedly published a tweet mocking the First Lady six months ago.
Mrs Buhari’s counsel, Fidelis Ogbobe, said on Friday that the first lady as the mother of the nation decided to withdraw the case, following the intervention of well-meaning Nigerians.
He relied on Section 108 subsection 2(a) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act to move the application for the withdrawal of the case.
Ruling on the matter, Justice Yusuf Halilu of the FCT High Court commended the Mrs Buhari for taking the “bold steps” to forgive the accused.
According to a police report, Mr Muhammed was arrested at Federal University Dutse on 18 November 2022 after Mrs Buhari instructed a team of police detectives to track him down.
He was then held in an unknown location and denied access to his family and lawyer, in clear violation of international human rights law.
Activists and other Nigerians took to social media condemning the arrest and torture of the student.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) have called for a nationwide protest on Monday against the First Lady.
