Amnesty International Nigeria has issued a strong demand for the immediate and unconditional release of Shafi’u Umar Tureta, a social media critic who was recently arrested by heavily armed police in Sokoto State. Tureta was detained after he shared a viral video online, which captured the lavish birthday celebration of Hajiya Fatima Aliyu, the First Lady of Sokoto State.
In a statement released on Monday, Amnesty International Nigeria condemned the arrest, attributing it to an unlawful directive from the governor of Sokoto State, Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto. Tureta, known for his outspoken presence on social media, quickly garnered attention when he posted the footage of the extravagant event. The video’s circulation led the state government to order his detention, raising serious concerns about the suppression of freedom of expression in the region.
The global human rights organization criticized the arrest, labeling it a blatant violation of Tureta’s rights. Amnesty International revealed that there are plans to present Tureta before a court, with the intent to secure a prolonged remand in prison. The organization fears that this move is an attempt to fabricate charges against him.
“This surge in human rights violations by the Sokoto state government is unacceptable and must end now,” Amnesty International Nigeria stated. The organization called on the state government to cease its troubling practice of arbitrarily detaining individuals solely for expressing dissenting views.
Amnesty International emphasized that holding and expressing differing social or political opinions is not a crime and urged the Sokoto State government to respect fundamental human rights by releasing Tureta without any conditions. The organization stressed the importance of upholding justice and human rights in all of the state’s actions.
The statement from Amnesty International reads: “Sokoto State government must immediately and unconditionally release Shafi’u Umar Tureta — a social media critic who was arrested by heavily armed police on the unlawful order of the governor, for posting a viral video of the lavish birthday party of the governor’s wife.
“Right now, plans are underway to drag Shafi’u Tureta before a court, in an attempt to seek prolonged remand in prison, to allow ample time to fabricate bogus charges against him.
“This surge in human rights violations by the Sokoto state government is unacceptable and must end now.
“The Sokoto State government must urgently stop their bizarre practice of arbitrarily detaining people solely for their dissenting views. It is not a crime to hold and express different social or political opinions.”
For further updates, follow our WhatsApp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VabITrvEAKW7DSkTfP0J