The wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, has sparked mixed reactions online over the arrest of Aminu Adamu Muhammed, a student of Federal University Dutse, Jigawa, by the Nigerian Police.
Naturenex reports that the 500-level student was arrested on November 8, 2022, at his campus following a social media post deemed defamatory against the First Lady.
A source who spoke with TheCable said the Police officers stormed the school and picked up the student without notifying the school authority.
Aminu was also mercilessly beaten before the officers said to have been deployed from the Federal Capital Territory (FTC) whisked him away from the institution.
The source said: “The police did not notify the school authorities. They just came in and picked him up and left.”
On June 8, 2022, Aminu shared a post on Twitter saying the first lady had suddenly added massive weight after eating the money of the poor masses.
Aminu tweeted in Hausa: “Su mama anchi kudin talkawa ankoshi”, which could be translated as “Mama has eaten poor people’s money and is now full”
Some of Adamu’s friends claimed he berated the first lady out of frustration due to the prolonged strike embarked on, by the Academic Staff Union Of Universities (ASUU).
Nigerians React
This latest development sparked mixed reactions from many Nigerians. While some claimed there is no more freedom of speech, others criticized the student for the tweet.
See some of the reactions below.
ladye4303 wrote: “They should free this boy. He has not committed any crime. This is bullying and intimidation of the highest order. In the Western world the citizens have freedom of speech”
doris_sparkle wrote: “It’s funny how SSS can find him but can’t find the leader or leaders of both bandits and Boko haram sec”
silverand_tiles_sanitarywares wrote: “And in France, two people has slapped their president on different occasions and they still walk the street alive. Africa shall be free someday, I pray to be a witness to this freedom we desperately yarn for”
just.jomi wrote: “Freedom of speech no Dey reach this side ni”
orgamarx wrote: “Do you now see these guys know what they are doing. You can easily pick up someone that twitted, yet you guys cannot spot bandits. Not even cannot, you have refused. Mtcheeew”
naiomenaiome wrote: “You know you reside in the North and you behave like you’re in the South or East or West. These are different people. You can lose your life over a statement”
dr._nz wrote: “Oppression, waste of taxpayers money and our commonwealth on something that is actually true. So what’s the offence really?”
thebeautifull_tata wrote: “Y’all make provision for freedom of speech and expression which is a fundamental human right but you can’t act accordingly when someone expresses himself?”
only1yada wrote: “They should better free that young man! There’s no crime in what he said”
orgamarx wrote: “Do you now see these guys know what they are doing? You can easily pick up someone that twitted, yet you guys cannot spot bandits. Not even cannot, you have refused. Mtcheeew”
