Aminu Mohammed, a student at the Federal University of Dutse Jigawa, was detained in the Suleja Correctional Center in Niger State for making a tweet about the president’s wife, Aisha Buhari.
The student was charged with cyber stalking at the FCT High Court No. 14 in Abuja on Tuesday, and although pleading not guilty to the accusations brought against him, he was denied bail.
Following Mohammed’s apparent detention a few days ago on the First Lady’s orders, Nigerians were outraged and demanded his release.
The First Lady, Aisha Buhari was “eating fat on the money of the underprivileged people,” according to a tweet made by Mohammed in Hausa in June.
The tweet read, “Su mama Anchi Kudin Talakawa an koshi,” meaning, “Mama has fed fat on poor people’s money.”
The 500-level student was picked up from his school and taken straight to the Presidential Villa where he was allegedly brutalised, beaten, maltreated and humiliated by the police suspected to be men belonging to the Department of State Services.
Speaking with BBC Hausa, Mohammed’s lawyer, CK Agu, said, “Even in the court session yesterday, we notified the judge about the efforts made to have him released on bail, but we did not receive any reply from the police.
“We applied to the court to release the student on bail on health grounds and the fact that he will sit for the exam on December 5. The court has ordered the police to provide the bail application before it for consideration between Tuesday and Wednesday.”
Justice Yusuf Halilu ordered the defendant to be remanded in Suleja Prison pending the hearing and determination of his bail application.
The application, which has been filed by his lawyer will be heard before the week runs out.
The one-count read, ”That you Aminu Adamu, male of Anguwar Sarakuna, Bauch, Bauchi state sometime between May – June 2022 within the jurisdiction of this Honorable court did intentionally open a Twitter Handle with the name @aminullahie Catalyst and screenshot the image of Her Excellency Hajia Aisha Buhari and wrote on it in Hausa language ‘Su mama anchi kudi talakawa ankoshi’ roughly translated to the English language to mean ‘mama has embezzled monies meant for the poor to satisfaction’ and posted same on your above Twitter handle for the members of the public to read, knowing same to be false and capable of affecting her reputation. You thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 391 of the penal code.”
