Amnesty International has decried the unlawful detention of a man by the Nigerian Police for criticising a government official online.
Amnesty International, via its official X handle, stated that the police arrested Abubakar Salim in Abuja after conducting surveillance in Gusau, capital of Zamfara State, North-west Nigeria. The arrest reportedly occurred before Amnesty’s public statement on Wednesday.
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The organisation called on the Nigerian government to promptly release Mr Salim. “The Nigerian authorities must release Abubakar Salim immediately and unconditionally. No one should be punished for criticising a government official.”
While Mr Salim’s exact social media post leading to his detention is unknown at the time of this report, the organisation criticised the police and described the arrest as an “abduction” and “abuse of power”.
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“Abubakar Salim did not commit any crime, and his arrest shows clear abuse of power. It is perfectly within his right to criticise any government official, no matter his position or status.
“Detaining Abubakar Salim solely for exercising the right to freedom of expression is unacceptable and shows contempt for the rule of law.”
According to Amnesty International, the police did not file any charges before he was taken by heavily armed security, nor were his lawyers briefed on why security agents monitored his movement.
The family reportedly said the police denied holding him in their facility. But Amnesty International reported that Mr Salim was detained at Abbatoir, “a notorious police detention centre where past detainees were tortured.”
This situation highlights a recurring pattern of disputes over the arresting authorities and whereabouts of a detainee
Recently, while the Lagos State Police Command denied arresting Samuel ‘Sammy West’ Daniels, the brother of actress and filmmaker Regina Daniels, his family insisted the police carried out the arrest.
The police later clarified that Mr Daniels was arrested by officers sent on an official assignment from Abuja.
Trend of arbitrary arrest
However, on Wednesday, Amnesty International condemned Mr Salim’s arrest as a breach of the freedom of expression while also noting the troubling trend of arresting citizens for criticising government officials on social media.
“The right of young people to freedom of expression in Nigeria is increasingly threatened. A lot of young Nigerians have come under attack, ranging from threats to arrests, illegal detention, and harassment, all for simply expressing their opinions online. This is unlawful and unacceptable.”
Affirming Amnesty International’s remarks, an X user also lamented the trend of arbitrary arrest, emphasising amplifying the issue to ensure justice.
Liberal Misterko said, “Freedom of speech is allowed, freedom after is not guaranteed. This is sadly the state of affairs. We all must stand and propagate the message to ensure justice takes its course.”
Mr Salim’s case is not an isolated incident but a pointer to a systemic issue. For instance, in July 2025, the police in Jigawa State arrested a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abubakar Gossima, over what close associates claimed to be a social media comment deemed offensive to a politician.
READ ALSO: Amnesty International condemns fresh Plateau, Niger, Kaduna attacks
Similarly, in October 2025, the police charged a journalist with cyberstalking for calling Delta State Governor Sherif Oborevwori and a senator *names* on social media.
Amnesty International criticised these arrests, noting that it was unacceptable under International Human Rights Law.“The mere fact that a social media post is considered unpalatable by any government official or any public figure is not sufficient to justify arbitrary detention by the police,” the organisation stated.
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