By Yahuza Rabiu Garba
Yobe youths since last week were on social media protest and condemning the imprisonment of Bulama Lamba which they regard as illegal imprisonment and demand his release.
Malam Bulama Lamaba, a prominent social media activist and a writer, was alleged to have been imprisoned because of his critical writing.
Few months ago, Yobe state governor Alhaji Ibarahim Gaidam was praised by some prints media for his commitment in paying pensioners in the state. The governor was said to have paid almost all the pensioners their owed salaries.
The cyberspace was awash with comment in appreciation and condemnation of the claim at that time. The governors spokesman, Abdulahi Bego wrote an article on his facebook timeline on the payment of pensions which Malam Bulama Lamba disparaged by writing a rejoinder to Abdullahi Bego.
In his rejoinder, Lamba, stated that the news was baseless because there are many pensioners who owed by the state, claiming that many pensioners have not been paid. He gave example of his brother, Bakama who died some four years back.
Malam Lamba said that he has been waiting for the pension of his brother to give the siblings he left. Due to the fact that many people criticize Lamba, he thereby in the rejoinder invited all the pensioners of Yobe state who the state owe money to meet at governor’s house gate for peaceful demonstration demanding to be paid.
Immediately after the rejoinder, SSS invited Lamba to their office to answer some questions regarding his writing. Lamba after a series of discussions was asked by SSS to write an apology letter to the state governor which he did.
Its after that inciedent that the Nigerian police sent him to magistrate court Damaturu that the state government is accusing him. Lamba, told the court that what he said was right and present some facts, after the departure of Lamba from courtroom, he was detained in Potiskum prison by the SSS in order to wait for the continuation of the judgment.
Lamba’s son who was also an activist insisted to court that his father was suffering from diabetes and its during the month of Ramadam that his Father Lamba can be seriously harmed by the imprisonment, the magistrate granted lamba’s bail.
Shortly after the state government took the case to magistrate court in Damaturu , but after one sitting that ends with adjournment, Lamba was sent to Potiskum prison for ‘waiting trial’. But unfortunately, the magistratre court is going for two months yearly holiday and therefore Lamba was detained in prison till the court is back from the two months Holiday.
In an interview lamba’s son, he was asked “what do you think is behind your fathers detention”?
“It’s obvious that he was extra judicially treated for saying the truth, and the truth only, who else can jail him than the state government. Everyone knows it, so I don’t need to call anyones name” he said
“How do you think Lamba’s situation should be as a prisoner”?
“My dad is severely ill, he’s suffering from diabetes for long, detaining him can nearly cause his death or severely injured him and the state government is responsible for anything happened to my father.” He said.
“as his next of kin, together with his lawyers are working on possible ways to forward the case and also to free him from this illegal detention. As you can see, people are advocating his release because they know who he is, what he said is within the jurisdiction of rights to freedom of speech and expressions. let him dictate the state as he wish but Lamba’s integrity worth dying for his people. I’m proud of you dad”.
The “#freeBulamaLamba” is going Viral in social media demanding Lamba’s release. Even though Haruna Sarduna, a senior adviser to the Governor Ibrahim Gaidam disassociate the Lambas detention from Gaidam, The angry youths accused the governor over Lambas imprisonment.
Yahuza Rabiu Garba, is a public commentator. He writes from Damaturu, Yobe State. You can contact him on 07063528889 or Yahuza.historian.@gmail.com
