Amnesty International has asked Nigeria to release a student who’s been arrested for a tweet, which allegedly defamed the wife of the nation’s President Muhammadu Buhari.
(Bloomberg) — Amnesty International has asked Nigeria to release a student who’s been arrested for a tweet, which allegedly defamed the wife of the nation’s President Muhammadu Buhari.
Aminu Adamu Muhammed was brought before Aisha Buhari in the presidential villa and later detained before being charged on Nov. 21 in the capital, Abuja, according to court documents. He’s been accused of posting a captioned image of the first lady that he knew to be false and capable of damaging her reputation, the charge sheet shows.
The arrest has sparked anger, raising fresh concerns about abuse of authority in Africa’s largest economy, as the overwhelmingly youthful population prepares for national elections in February. Buhari’s ruling party, represented by Bola Tinubu, is bidding to retain its hold on power in the face of strong competition from two candidates and a struggling economy.
Nigeria had previously banned Twitter after the company deleted one of President Buhari’s posts for violating its rules. The government said the platform was shut down because “unscrupulous elements” used it for “subversive purposes and criminal activities, propagating fake news, and polarizing Nigerians along tribal and religious lines.”
Nigeria lifted the San-Francisco-based social media giant’s seven-month suspension in January.
Police witness statements filed in the case indicate a high level of personal involvement by the first lady and her staff in the detention of the 24-year-old, who was formally arraigned on Tuesday.
Spokesmen for the president and first lady didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Muhammed’s family and friends allege that he was the victim of “severe beating, torture and other forms of ill-treatment” while in detention, Amnesty International Nigeria said on Twitter on Nov. 27.
His bail application is due to be heard on Dec. 5. Amnesty International on Friday called on the government to “urgently” release Muhammed. An association of Nigerian students also called for nationwide protests starting on Dec. 5 over Muhammed’s treatment.
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