By Chimezie Godfrey
The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has condemned what it describes as the unlawful arrest and continued detention of young civic activist Abba Mu’azu, widely known as Comrade Abiyo Roni, by operatives of the Jigawa State Police Command.
Abiyo was reportedly picked up shortly after he posted images of a controversial empowerment programme initiated by the Chairman of Roni Local Government Area, Dr. Abba Ya’u Roni, in which residents were handed locally fabricated wheelbarrows and jerrycans. The activist was said to have merely questioned the transparency of the exercise and raised concerns about how public funds were being used.
CITAD, in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Y.Z. Ya’u, described the detention as “a blatant violation of constitutional rights,” insisting that no citizen should be arrested for expressing an opinion protected under the 1999 Constitution.
“The arbitrary arrest of Comrade Abiyo is an attack on freedom of expression, personal liberty, and civic participation. The police cannot be used as a political tool to intimidate citizens who demand accountability,” the statement said.
The organisation called on the Jigawa Police Command to immediately release the activist and urged the Inspector-General of Police to launch an investigation into the alleged misuse of police powers.
It also appealed to the Jigawa State Government and Governor Umar Namadi to intervene, while asking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to impress on the police leadership the need to respect democratic rights and digital freedoms.
CITAD further asked the National Human Rights Commission to wade into the matter and ensure accountability for what it termed “abuse of office and an attempt to criminalise civic activism.”
The organisation maintained that democratic progress would remain elusive if dissenting voices were silenced, stressing that public scrutiny of government spending is a legitimate civic responsibility.