The arrest of a university student by security personnel after he allegedly insulted President Muhammadu Buhari’s wife in a Twitter message has sparked widespread resentment in Nigeria.
According to Aminu Adamu Mohammed’s attorney, Chijioke Kingsley Agu, the defendant has now been remanded to custody.
He claimed that on Tuesday, his client was charged before a high court in Abuja’s Maitama neighborhood.
In the charging sheet, prosecutors claimed that he posted a picture of Aisha Buhari on Twitter along with statements in Hausa that, when loosely translated, indicated “Mama has embezzled money intended for the needy.”
He was charged with disseminating false information by the prosecution.
The one-count criminal defamation allegation was refuted by the student.
His attorney stated a bail application had been submitted and anticipated it would be taken into consideration within the following 48 hours.
According to reports, the 23-year-old student was detained earlier this month.
The parents of Mr. Mohammed have openly begged Mrs. Buhari to pardon their son.
She hasn’t said anything yet.
Next Monday, the undergraduate and his classmates will begin their final exams.
It is not yet known if he will be released in order for him to do that.
The treatment of the student by the Nigerian government has drawn criticism from social media users and human rights activists, who have asked for his immediate release.
Some claim that Nigerian officials are growing less amenable to criticism.
Two adolescent TikTok users were punished and publicly flogged earlier this month as a result of a In a video posted on social media, they were found guilty of defaming the governor of the northern state of Kano by the court.
