CITAD Accuses Some State Governors Of Digital Rights Abuses

Abubakar Abdulkadir, Kano

Center For Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has called on the Nigeria Police to avoid arbitrary arrest of citizens and always follow due process in the arrest and detention of suspects.

Digital Rights program officer of the Center Malam Ali Sabo made the call today at a Press conference on Continued Harassment and Detention of citizens for expressing thier opinion online by Government authorities.

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He said, the police need to ensure that, every arrest is made with an order of a competent court and anybody arrested should be taken to court within the specified period stapulated by the constitution.

”This press conference which is being organized to draw the attention of the Nigerian authorities and other stakeholders to bring to an end the continued harassment and detention of citizens for expressing thier opinion online in the country,,

“These harassments and continued detentions of the citizens without following due process is negating the principles of democracy which is being practiced in Nigeria and absolute abuse of the human rights of the citizens as enshrined in the 1999 constitution as amended”

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CITAD also reiterated it’s earlier call to president Muhammadu Buhari to ensure speedy Assent of the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill as soon as it is transmitted to him as it will bring an end to arbitrary arrest of citizens by Nigerian security agencies.

”The Digital Rights Bill if being passed will ensure guarantee application of the human rights which apply offline within the digital environment and online and it will also ensure due process with regard to arrest of anybody deem to have committed any offence”.

”This particular press conference is necessary due to the increased of arrest of citizens by the Nigerian security agencies on the order of some state governors. To highlight some of the examples, on the 11th of December, 2022, a minor named Umar Garba was arrested in Nguru Local Government Area, Yobe State over an alleged defamation of character of the Yobe State Governor, Maimala Buni. The boy was held captive by the Nigeria Police for more than two weeks without a court order or any arrest warrant”

” Similarly, the boy was not taken to court up to the time of his release
It would be recalled that another youth, a 500 level student of the Federal University, Dutse, Aminu Adamu was also arrested last month over alleged defamation of character of the wife of the president, Mrs. Aisha Buhari. Similar case had also happened in Kano State were two Tiktokers were arrested, detained and beaten for alleged defamation of character of the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. If these arrests are allowed to continue the country is going to be turned into an authoritarian one where citizens will not have the rights to express themselves online”.

He said, these arbitrary arrests of the citizens are against the Nigerian constitution and international covenant of human and people’s rights.

”Anybody arrested for any offence shall be taken to court within specified period of time as in the Nigeria constitution.