Amnesty International condemns arrest of activist who criticised LG chairman

Amnesty International, a non-governmental organisation focusing on human rights, has publicly condemned the arrest of a social media activist, ABBA Mu’azu Abiyos, for criticising Abba Ya’u, the chairman of Roni LGA of Jigawa State.

The organisation, in a Facebook post, said that the activist was arrested on Wednesday by the police for allegedly defaming the Roni LG chairman.

The post read in part: “Amnesty International strongly condemns the unlawful arrest and detention of activist Abba Mu’azu Abiyos by the Jigawa State Police Command on the baseless allegation of defaming the Chairman of Roni LGA, Abba Ya’u.

“Abba Abiyos’ arrest by the police on Wednesday, 12 November 2025, following Facebook posts, shows utter disregard for the rule of law and intolerance of dissenting voices. No one should be punished for criticising a government official.

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“Abba Abiyos did not commit any crime, and his arrest shows clear abuse of power. It is perfectly within his right to criticise any government official — no matter his position or status.”

The post further stated that the detained activist rightly exercised his right to freedom of expression, adding that detaining him showed contempt for the rule of law.

“Detaining Abba Abiyos solely for exercising his right to freedom of expression is unacceptable and shows contempt for the rule of law. Under international human rights law, the mere fact that a social media post is considered unpalatable by a local government chairman or any public figure is not sufficient to justify arbitrary detention by the police.

“Nigerian police must always uphold the due process of law and not become a tool in the hands of politicians by carrying out arbitrary arrest, detention, and other undue restrictions of the rights of individuals to the legitimate exercise of their freedom of expression and opinion. The activist must be released immediately and unconditionally,” the post stated.