Human rights groups have called for the release of a student who has been arrested for allegedly insulting Nigeria’s first lady, Aisha Buhari, in a tweet.
Aminu Adamu Muhammed was arrested on the 8th of November after reportedly tweeting in June that Buhari had gotten “fatter by eating the masses’ money.” The 23-year-old was picked up on the campus of the Federal University Dutse in the northern state of Jigawa. It is not clear what specific charges, if any, Aminu is being held under.
“Amnesty International strongly condemns the arrest of #Aminu,” Amnesty International tweeted. “His family and friends alleged that he was held incommunicado and subjected to severe beating, torture and other forms of ill-treatment. Since his arrest neither his family nor his lawyers have had access to him.”
“The Buhari administration must immediately and unconditionally release Aminu Muhammad,” SERAP, a nonprofit legal advocacy group said. “We'll see in court if he's not immediately released.
Aisha Buhari – who regularly faces criticism for appearing to live in Dubai despite her position as first lady – rarely makes public appearances but has been known to occasionally openly criticise members of her husband’s administration.
Aminu’s arrest comes just days after two TikTok creators in Nigeria were sentenced to be flogged for mocking a prominent politician. Mubarak Muhammad and Nazifi Muhammad published a skit criticising Abdullahi Ganduje, the governor of the northern state of Kano.
The pair were also ordered to pay a fine of 10,000 naira (around £17, $23) and clean the court premises for 30 days.
Vice, by Dipo Faloyin
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