THE CENTRE for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) today issued a blunt warning, declaring that the violation of digital rights at state and local government levels in Nigeria is rapidly on the increase, marked by a “disturbing pattern” of arrests, intimidation, and a fundamental failure to protect citizens online.
Unveiling a new Policy Brief at a press conference in Abuja, CITAD’s Digital Rights Lead, Ali Sabo, stated that state governments are “largely ignoring” their constitutional responsibility to safeguard citizens in the digital sphere, leading to a “growing culture of intolerance to criticism and abuse of power.”
“Digital rights are not optional privileges. They are fundamental human rights that underpin democracy, accountability, innovation, and development,” Sabo told journalists at the press conference. “As Nigeria becomes more digital, failure to protect digital rights – especially at the state and local levels – poses a serious threat to our collective future.”
The briefing detailed a litany of recent cases, primarily outside the federal capital, where citizens have been targeted for online expression. These include the arrest of Comrade Abiyo Roni in Jigawa State on November 10 for criticising his local government chairman on social media, and the detention of blogger Ajala Adeshina Shuaib in Kwara State over allegations of defamation against a senator.
In Kano State, CITAD documented the arrests of Murtala Garba Doka, Shamsu Safiyanu Lambu, and Zakariyya Kabeer Gwagwarwa, a serving NYSC corps member detained on the order of a political office holder.
“These cases are not isolated incidents,” Sabo emphasized. “They reflect the weaponisation of law enforcement agencies to silence dissent – especially at the grassroots.”
Beyond state-sanctioned repression, CITAD highlighted a parallel crisis of digital rights violations among private citizens, driven by ignorance and a lack of legal recourse.
The organisation cited a case where a minor was forced to withdraw from school after a video of her was circulated online without consent, and another where a Kano woman’s image was used without permission in commercial advertisements.
Particularly alarming, CITAD noted, are gender-targeted violations. “In the last two years, several young women have lost their lives after interactions initiated on social media,” Sabo revealed, pointing to online harassment, privacy breaches, and the non-consensual sharing of intimate images as severe, yet often unrecognised, digital rights abuses.
CITAD identified a critical governance gap at the heart of the crisis. While digital technologies underpin sectors like education, health, and commerce – many of which fall under the Concurrent Legislative List shared by federal and state governments – most states have focused only on deploying technology for revenue or surveillance, not protection.
The policy environment is further weakened by low awareness, untrained judiciary and law enforcement, and a concentration of capacity-building initiatives in Abuja and Lagos, leaving state actors “poorly equipped.”
To address the emergency, CITAD issued a multi-layered call to action urging state governments to immediately halt the arrest of citizens for online criticism; domesticate federal digital rights and data protection policies; develop state-level digital rights frameworks, including for Artificial Intelligence; invest heavily in training for judges, lawyers, and police on digital rights laws; and, harmonise existing laws to align with global digital rights standards.
It also called on law enforcement to comply with the Nigeria Data Protection Act and urged civil society and the media to expand advocacy beyond urban centres and ensure their own practices respect digital rights.
“CITAD remains committed to documenting abuses, supporting victims, and advocating for a digital environment that is safe, inclusive, and rights-respecting,” Sabo said.
