After public outrage at First Lady, Aisha Buhari’s order to arrest and prosecute a university student, Aminu Adamu, over his twitter post about her, she has withdrawn the case against the boy.
Adamu was arraigned on November 30, 2022 before Justice Yusuf Halilu of a Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, for cyber stalking charge against Mrs Buhari.
Persecondnews reported that he pleaded not guilty and was remanded at Suleja Correctional Centre in Niger State.
Adamu is a final year student in the Department of Environmental Management and Taxicology.
The arrest and detention of Aminu Adamu over an alleged defamatory post against the wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari has drawn the ire of Amnesty International, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, students and civil society organizations, demanding his immediate release.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) condemned the arrest and detention of Adamu, a student of Federal University Dutse, Jigawa, on the orders of Mrs Buhari’s for a post criticising her.
NANS President, Usman Barambu, in a statement on Thursday, demanded the unconditional release of the student and also announced a nationwide protest for Monday, December 5, 2022.
“Sequel to the exhaustion of all options available to us before confrontation in seeking the freedom of one of us who was arrested in questionable manner, tortured, molested, harassed and detained by agents of government, you are hereby notified of the decision of the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students to proceed on a nationwide protest.
“We have consulted and consolidated and neither yielded desirable results in seeking the freedom of AMINU ADAMU MUHAMMED, student of the Federal University Dutse hence the protest shall commence as follows: Monday 5th December, 2022 Nationwide,” he said.
Also, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has indicated that it would take a legal action against the Federal Government.
Demanding for his release unconditionally, SERAP called on the government to end what he described as the sham trial of the student.
In a series of tweets, the body described the critic as a “prisoner of conscience.”
But withdrawing the case against the student on Friday, the Prosecution Counsel, Mr Fidelis Ogbobe, said the First Lady as the mother of the nation decided to withdraw the charge following the intervention of well-meaning Nigerians.
Meanwhile, Nigerians have taken to the social media to react to the decision of the First Lady, Aisha Buhari to withdraw the charge.
Their comments:
“@Ladipo -Obviously, Mrs Aisha Buhari has done the damages already and releasing the him is like medicine after death.”
“@Jerome -She has not really played the role as the mother of the nation with her treatment of the young man.”
“@jaybell -The first lady has proven that she can be powerful if she is in the position of a president.”
“@Kjol -The truth is, the APC govt has shown to us that they cant be trusted with powers again.”
“@anthony -After allowing the poor boy to experience small trauma in detention, the first lady now feels releasing him now make her win our heart is pure lie.”
“@Paul -Sincerely, we live in a society where freedom of speech cant be guaranteed.”
“@Ethel -Nigeriajns have a decision to make between choosing a govt that will choke you and someone that will give you freedom of expression.”
“@IgweAfrica1 Fundamental human rights sha Dey work for this country Tueh 😤”
“@WisdomUchenna17 You can track an innocent boy but can’t track and wipe herdsmen and boko haram. Ndi ara.”
“@prinnccejosh Tyranny has no place in democracy, but in Nigeria, tyranny and despotism have become our own democracy. Well done, Madam Aisha.”
“@Uto_nwa1 If not the way people raised alarm, they could have left him there to rot in jail.Omo…nothing surprises me in Nigeria anymore, the rich on a steady pressing the poor’s neck. Am sure he already learnt his lessons.”
“@LessonThem As it should be. I can’t believe@PoliceNG let themselves be used by the wife of the president. This is a country and not Buhari family house.”
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