Rights group demands release of student ‘detained for criticising’ Umar Bago in social media post

Hope Behind Bars Africa has condemned the arrest and detention of Abubakar Mokwa, a student of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU), Lapai, Niger state.

Mokwa was reportedly arrested and charged under the Cybercrime Prohibition and Prevention Act 2024 for criticising Umar Bago, governor of Niger state, in a social media post.

The student activist, who is also a master’s scholar at IBBU, had asked Bago to curb banditry in the state rather than resorting to the media to tell “lies”.

Wasiu Abiodun, Niger state police spokesperson, had confirmed Mokwa’s arrest, saying a criminal complaint was filed against him.

He was arraigned before a magistrate’s court in Minna, the state capital, over alleged cyberbullying, cyberstalking, criminal defamation, and inciting disturbance.

The court ordered that Mokwa be remanded in custody, despite pleading not guilty and applying for bail.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Ogechi Ogwuma, communications officer of Hope Behind Bars Africa, said the incident is a worrying pattern of repression and the misuse of the Cybercrime Act to silence dissent.

“Instead of addressing the substance of Abubakar’s comments or engaging citizens in dialogue, the state has chosen to criminalize dissent and send a chilling message to others who might question authority,” the statement reads.

“At this important time, we must all be reminded that the right to freedom of expression is not a privilege granted by government officials; it is a constitutional right guaranteed under Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution and protected by Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

“The persistent misuse of cybercrime provisions, particularly Section 24, against journalists, activists, and citizens generally, reveals a pattern of civic repression that threatens Nigeria’s nascent democracy.

“At a time when young Nigerians are using digital platforms to advocate for justice, transparency, and reform, the arrest of a university student for online criticism is both unlawful and morally indefensible.

“Nigeria cannot continue to preach democracy while jailing its young voices for speaking truth to power.”

Ogwuma asked the Niger state government to immediately withdraw all charges against Mokwa and the police to stop the “misuse” of the Cybercrime Act to suppress dissent.

Ogwuma asked the national assembly to urgently amend the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention) Act 2024 to “safeguard against abuse and align it with Nigeria’s human rights obligations”.

Amnesty International had condemned Mokwa’s arrest and detention, describing it as “bogus”.

“The arbitrary detention and plan to subject Abubakar Mokwa to a sham trial based on bogus charges are the latest symptoms of the alarming backsliding of human rights across Nigeria,” the rights group said.