Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the arrest and prolonged detention of Abubakar Isah Mokwa, a postgraduate student of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, describing it as an abuse of power by Niger State Governor Umaru Bago.
Atiku, in a recent statement, said Mokwa’s continued detention for criticising the governor was “outrageous and unacceptable,” warning that it reflected a growing climate of intolerance and repression in Nigeria.
He faulted the misuse of the Cybercrimes Act to silence dissent, noting that defamation is a civil matter, not a criminal offence. “To weaponise it for political witch-hunts is a betrayal of justice and a grave assault on democracy,” he said.
Atiku demanded Mokwa’s immediate and unconditional release, calling the arrest a “tyranny in disguise.” He urged Nigerians to resist efforts to suppress free speech and urged lawmakers to review or repeal the Cybercrimes Act.
“History will not be kind to those who criminalise truth,” he warned, adding that freedom of expression remains the bedrock of any true democracy.
Leave feedback about this