THE CENTRE for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has strongly condemned the arrest and detention of two youths in Tofa LGA of Kano State over a social media post critical of a local official.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday, the Kano-based non-profit civil society organisation identified the detained individuals as Murtala Garba Doka and Shamsu Safiyanu Lambu; said to have been arrested on Monday on the orders of the chairman of Tofa LGA, Hon. Ibrahim Yakubu Addis.
The arrest is said to be connected to a post on the social media platform, Facebook, concerning the Lambu–Banki–Yarimawa–Jakata road project.
The post allegedly criticised the chairman for abandoning the road construction, a project reportedly approved by the state government at a cost of ₦240 million.
According to CITAD, the two individuals were initially detained at the Tofa Divisional Police Station before being transferred to the Kano State Police Command Headquarters in Bompai for further investigation.
CITAD stated that the arrests have generated tension within the community, describing the incident as part of a “disturbing pattern of intimidation, harassment, and unlawful detention of citizens and social media users for exercising their constitutional right to freedom of expression.”
CITAD asserted that “arresting individuals for expressing opinions on public projects is a gross violation of their digital rights and fundamental freedoms.”
It cited Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which guarantees freedom of expression, and international human rights instruments to which Nigeria is a signatory.
CITAD warned that this “persistent pattern of intimidation,” aimed at curtailing citizen freedoms, is capable of undermining public confidence in electoral democracy, particularly in what it described as “trying times for Nigeria.”
The Centre is demanding, among other things, the immediate and unconditional release of the detainees (Garba Doka and Shamsu Safiyanu Lambu) as it called on the Kano State Police Command to refrain from being used as a tool for political persecution.
CITAD also appealed to public officials to embrace accountability and constructive criticism as integral elements of democratic governance as it encouraged social media users to continue exercising their rights responsibly so as to assert and build the culture of transparency.
The Centre equally called on the Kano State Government to caution local government officials to appreciate public criticism as a cornerstone of democracy.
The statement, signed by YZ Ya’u, CITAD’s Executive Director, reaffirmed the Centre’s commitment to “promoting digital rights, protecting online freedom of expression, and ensuring that the internet remains a safe space for civic participation and accountability in Nigeria.”
