By Ehis Agbon, Procyon News
Former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the arrest and continued detention of Abubakar Isah Mokwa, a post-graduate student of the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai (IBBUL), describing it as a dangerous attack on free speech and democratic values.
Mokwa, who was reportedly detained by security agents for comments he made on social media about Niger State Governor Umaru Bago, has spent over a week in custody. His arrest has sparked outrage across social media, with many Nigerians accusing the authorities of abusing the Cybercrimes Act (2015) to silence citizens critical of government officials.
In a statement shared via his official X handle, Atiku expressed concern that Nigeria is “descending into intolerance and repression,” where dissenting voices are criminalized under the guise of enforcing cyber laws.
“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 Umaru Bago of Niger State. This development is both outrageous and unacceptable. It is a dangerous sign of how far our country has descended into intolerance and repression,” Atiku wrote.
The former Vice President accused the ruling party of weaponising state institutions and legal instruments to intimidate citizens, journalists, and opposition figures, warning that such conduct erodes public confidence in democracy.
“Defamation is a civil matter, not a criminal offence. To weaponise it for political witch-hunts is a betrayal of justice and a grave assault on democracy itself,” he stated.
Atiku demanded Mokwa’s immediate and unconditional release, describing his incarceration as “tyranny in disguise” that has no place in a free society. He also called for a comprehensive review or repeal of the Cybercrimes Act, which he said has become a convenient tool for gagging citizens.
“Cyberstalking and cyberbullying must never be used as smokescreen to muzzle critics or suppress truth. Our nation already has adequate laws to address defamation without resorting to such draconian tactics,” he added.
A Pattern of Abuse
Atiku’s statement comes amid growing concern from rights groups about the misuse of the Cybercrimes Act by law enforcement agencies and state governments to stifle dissent.
Originally passed in 2015 to combat online fraud, identity theft, and financial cybercrimes, the Act’s Section 24 on “cyberstalking” has been widely criticised for its vague wording, which authorities have used to justify arrests of journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens.
In 2023, journalist Luka Binniyat and social media activist Steven Kefas were detained under similar provisions for posts deemed “offensive.” In 2024, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and Amnesty International renewed calls for the law to be amended, arguing that it is inconsistent with Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution and international human rights standards on free expression.
Legal expert and human rights advocate Barrister Aisha Danladi told Procyon News that Mokwa’s case highlights a troubling pattern of “digital repression.”
“We are seeing an alarming trend where the Cybercrimes Act is being used as a political tool rather than a legal instrument. Citizens should not be arrested for criticizing their leaders. That’s what democracy protects,” she said.
Public Outrage and Calls for Reform
Mokwa’s detention has sparked online protests, with the hashtags #FreeAbubakarMokwa and #ReformCybercrimeAct trending across social media platforms. Student unions, human rights defenders, and civil society organisations have called for his release and a nationwide review of the cyber law.
A coalition of digital rights groups under the Paradigm Initiative also warned that the repeated misuse of the Cybercrimes Act threatens Nigeria’s global reputation as a democracy.
“If this law continues to be used against citizens for speaking their minds, it will breed fear, censorship, and self-silencing — the exact opposite of democratic participation,” the group said in a statement.
Atiku concluded his statement with a warning to those behind the repression:
“History will not be kind to those who criminalise truth. Our democracy cannot thrive in fear.”
As of the time of this report, neither the Niger State Government nor the Nigeria Police Force has issued an official statement on the matter.
