Former Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly condemned the arrest and detention of Abubakar Isah Mokwa, a postgraduate student of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai (IBBUL), by the Niger State Government under Governor Umaru Bago.
In a statement released on Saturday, Atiku described the incident as “outrageous and unacceptable,” accusing the governor of promoting intolerance and silencing dissent through the misuse of the Cybercrimes Act. “It has come to my attention that Abubakar Isah Mokwa has been arrested and detained for over a week for merely expressing his opinion about Governor Bago. This development is both outrageous and unacceptable,” he said.
Atiku condemned what he called the “weaponisation” of defamation laws to target critics. He emphasised that defamation is a civil issue, not a criminal offence, and that using it to stifle citizens amounts to a betrayal of democracy. “To weaponise it for political witch-hunts is a grave assault on justice and democratic freedom,” he warned.
The former Vice President also accused the ruling party of normalising arbitrary arrests and intimidation. He said, “The ruling party’s misuse of state power to harass citizens, journalists, and opposition voices has become a shameful routine that must stop.” He urged for Mokwa’s immediate and unconditional release, calling his detention “tyranny in disguise.”
Atiku further urged the National Assembly to revisit and reform the Cybercrimes Act, saying it has become a convenient tool to gag free speech. “Cyberstalking and cyberbullying must never be used as a smokescreen to silence critics. Our democracy cannot thrive under fear and repression,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Mokwa — popularly known as “Senator” among his peers — is facing six-count charges, including cyberbullying, criminal defamation, and inciting disturbance, after a social media post that criticised Governor Bago’s response to flood victims in his community. Despite pleading not guilty, he remains in custody following a magistrate’s ruling.
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have condemned Mokwa’s detention as a violation of free expression. In a statement, the organisation said, “The continued misuse of the Cybercrime Act to silence dissenting voices is an assault on Nigeria’s democracy.”
Atiku concluded by warning that “history will not be kind to those who criminalise truth.”
