Aisha Buhari bows to pressure, withdraws case against Internet critic

Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, has withdrawn her case against a final-year student of the Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State, Aminu Mohammed, following pressure and condemnation by activists, Amnesty International, the National Association of Nigerian Students, and other Nigerians.

The prosecution counsel, Fidelis Ogbobe, while withdrawing the case on behalf of Mrs Buhari, said the President’s wife, being the mother of the nation, decided to withdraw the case following the intervention of “well-meaning Nigerians”.

Moving a motion for the withdrawal of the case, Ogbobe cited Section 108 (2)(a) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act. Justice Yusuf Halilu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory commended Mrs Buhari for withdrawing the case.

Halilu, while issuing the release warrant, called on parents to always monitor their children to avoid recurrence

The 24-year-old student had alleged in Hausa that the wife of the President was “feeding fat on poor people’s money”. It was reported that he was moved from Bauchi to Abuja on Aisha’s command and locked up.

Muhammad’s uncle, Shebu Azare, had, in an interview published by BBC Hausa, on Monday, said the victim’s father, Mallam Adamu, was not aware of his son’s arrest until five days later when the matter had escalated.

The matter had also generated a lot of reactions, with prominent Nigerians, including the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, and other human rights activists calling for the student’s release.

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According to a police report, Muhammed was arrested at Federal University Dutse on November 18, 2022, after the wife of the President instructed a team of police detectives to track him down.

The Presidency had also barred visitors from visiting inmates at the Suleja Correctional Centre, Niger State, following the arrest of Aminu.

Before the withdrawal of the case, about 250 women groups from across the country under the aegis of Feminist Womanifesto demanded Aminu’s immediate and unconditional release from detention.

The women also demanded the release of Zainab Kassim, a former social media aide to the wife of the president, Aisha Buhari.

The groups, in a letter to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, dated December 1, 2022, described the action of the first lady as a gross violation of human right to personal liberty, freedom of speech and right to seek legal counsel, adding that no female leader should be associated with such abuses of power.

The letter signed by Convener of the groups, Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi and made available to journalists in Abuja on Friday read in part: “Various news outlets have suggested that the arrest of Muhammed and Kassim was in obedience to orders from Mrs. Aisha Buhari and that the student was beaten in her presence.

“We are concerned that despite the call from Nigerians nothing has been said by the office of the First Lady or the government in this regard to counter the narrative.

“The development is unacceptable in a civilian regime; the rule of law is expected to be prioritised in all arrests. Furthermore, in this period marking 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, no leader and certainly not a female leader should be associated with such abuses of power. No one should be above the law.

“We believe that the actions constitute a gross violation of human right to personal liberty, freedom of speech and right to seek legal counsel.

“These actions also infringe on Section 35, Chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which states that an arrested person must be brought before a competent court of law within a reasonable time of 48 hours. It has been over 21 days since their arrest.

“We are worried about the continued detention of these citizens and its implications on the country’s human rights reputation. We are compelled to write to your esteemed office to demand an immediate investigation of the arrest, detention and assault of Aminu Muhammed and Zainab Kassim.

“We call your attention to the constitution which states in Section 35 (6), Any person who is unlawfully arrested or detained shall be entitled to compensation and public apology from the appropriate authority or person; and in this subsection, ‘the appropriate authority or person means an authority or person specified by law.

“We also demand the Office of the First Lady of Nigeria to respond to the allegation for the sake of public good and accountability.

“We hope you will use your good office to cause and investigate in this regard to ensure that the law takes its cause and both Aminu Muhammed and Zainab Kassim are released or taken before a court of competent jurisdiction.

“Nigerians are watching! We call on you to do the needful.”