Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar has demanded unconditional release of Abubakar Isah Mokwa who was arrested and detained in police custody in connection with a social media post, criticising Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger State.
TheNewspad recalls that the Masters Degree student of Ibrahim Babangida University, Lapai, who had used his Facebook account to call public attention to the alleged underperformance of the Governor, was whisked from his police in his residence in and taken to the police headquarters in Minna, two weeks ago.
A social media post, where the undergraduate called Bago “Governor Amunike”, a slang they originated from Emmanuel Amunike, the former Nigerian footballer and Super Eagles winger, led to his arrest and detention.
But in a Facebook post Saturday November 1st 2025, Atiku wrote: “It has come to my attention that Abubakar Isah Mokwa, a post-graduate student of the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai (IBBUL), has been arrested and detained for over a week for merely expressing his opinion about Governor Umaru Bago of Niger State”.
“This development is both outrageous and unacceptable. It is a dangerous sign of how far our country has descended into intolerance and repression, where citizens’ rights are trampled and dissenting voices are silenced under the guise of enforcing the so-called Cybercrimes Act”.
“Let it be clear: 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 itself.
“The ruling party’s misuse of state power to intimidate citizens, journalists, and the opposition through arbitrary arrests has become a shameful routine that must stop.
“The continued incarceration of Abubakar Mokwa and others persecuted under this unjust law stands condemned. This tyranny in disguise has no place in a free society.
“I demand his immediate and unconditional release and urge all well-meaning Nigerians to rise in defence of free speech and civil liberty.
“Cyberstalking and cyberbullying must never be used as smokescreen to muzzle critics or suppress truth.
“Our nation already has adequate laws to address defamation without resorting to such draconian tactics.
“I therefore call for the immediate repeal or comprehensive amendment of the Cybercrimes Act, which has become a convenient tool for gagging citizens and waging war against democracy, freedom, and dissent.
“History will not be kind to those who criminalise truth. -AA”, Atiku said.
