The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) on Tuesday demanded the immediate release of Zakariyya Kabeer Gwagwarwa, a serving corps member from Kano State who it said was unlawfully arrested and detained in neighbouring Katsina State.
CITAD Executive Director, Y.Z. Ya’u, said in a statement that Gwagwarwa was taken into custody by the police in Katsina at the request of a federal lawmaker representing the Nassarawa constituency in Kano, following a Facebook post he made about local politics.
“The only alleged offence was a Facebook post stating: ‘Company Pampers must go Sabuwar Nassarawa 2027 Insha Allahu,’” Ya’u said. “This post in no way incites violence or undermines public order; rather, it falls within his constitutionally protected right to freedom of expression.”
Gwagwarwa, who is serving with the National Youth Service Corps in Katsina, has been held for several days without access to his family before being charged in court, CITAD said. The case was adjourned for two weeks, prolonging his detention.
The group also cited credible reports that the corps member was mistreated in custody, including being physically assaulted by police officers. “Police custody should never be a place where individuals who have not been found guilty by any competent court are subjected to inhuman or extra-judicial torture,” Ya’u said.
CITAD’s call follows growing concern over alleged police abuses, including the recent death of a young cleric in custody in Kano.
The organisation urged the judiciary to resist being used for political persecution and called on the police to uphold their constitutional duty to protect citizens’ rights rather than act as “instruments of intimidation for political office holders.”
“Nigeria’s democracy can only thrive where the rights of citizens are respected and the rule of law is upheld,” CITAD said. “Suppressing the voices of ordinary Nigerians for exercising their right to free expression is a dangerous step toward authoritarianism and must not be tolerated.”