NANS Begins Nationwide Protest, Mon … Against Student’s Prosecution Over Tweet

The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has declared a nationwide protest to demand the release of a student of the Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State, Aminu Mohammed, who was arrested and sent to prison over a tweet on Aisha Buhari, wife of President Muhammadu Buhari.
NANS President, Usman Barambu, in a statement, yesterday, noted the protest, which would commence on Monday, would be indefinite until Mohammed regained freedom.
NANS had earlier apologised to the First Lady while also calling for the student’s release.
This not working, NANS said it had exhausted options of consultation and consolidation, and would thereby be confronting.
The statement reads, “Sequel to the exhaustion of every option available to us before confrontation in seeking the freedom of one of us, who was arrested in a questionable manner, tortured, molested, harassed and detained by agents of the government, you are hereby notified of the decision of the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students to proceed on a nationwide protest.
“We have consulted and consolidated and neither yielded desirable results in seeking the freedom of Aminu Adamu Mohammed, student of the Federal University of Dutse, hence, the protest will commence as follow:
“Monday, December 5, 2022, nationwide protest. Please, note that the demonstration shall continue until he is released unconditionally.
“The protest is against the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, and wife of the President, Aisha Muhammadu Buhari”.
Mohammed was reportedly picked up by security operatives who traced him to Jigawa and brought to him Abuja in November.
Justice Halilu Yusuf of the Federal Capital Territory High Court subsequently remanded Mohammed at the Suleja Correctional Centre in Niger State for allegedly damaging the reputation of the First Lady.
Adamu’s arrest has generated reactions on social media, with notable Nigerians calling for his release.
Barambu noted that NANS’ protest would be against the First Lady and the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba.
Meanwhile, the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, is expected to testify against Aminu Mohammed, a student of the Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa, who criticised her on Twitter.
Aisha is among the five witnesses listed by the prosecution to testify against Mohammed in court.
However, the police alleged that the offence, bordering on defamation and cyber stalking, contravened Section 391 of the Penal Code.
The one-count charge against the student marked: CR/89/2022, and dated November 23, reads, “That you Aminu Adamu, male of Anguwar Sarakuna, Bauch, Bauchi State sometime between May – June 2022 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did intentionally open a Twitter handle with the name @aminullahie Catalyst and screenshot the image of Her Excellency,Hajia Aisha Buhari.
“And wrote on it in Hausa language ‘Su mama anchikuditalakawaankoshi’ roughly translated to the English language to mean ‘mama has embezzled monies meant for the poor to satisfaction’, and posted same on your above Twitter handle for the members of the public to read, knowing same to be false and capable of affecting her reputation. You thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 391 of the Penal Code.”
The defendant is to be remanded in Suleja Prison pending the hearing and determination of his bail application, as disclosed by his lawyer, Kinsley Anga.
Recall that the said student was remanded in prison after being arraigned at the FCT High Court No. 14 in Abuja, last Tuesday for cyber stalking and defamation against the First Lady.
Although Mohammed pleaded not guilty, he was still sent to the SulejaCorrectional Centre without an option of bail.
The 24-year-old who hails from Bauchi State was allegedly arrested on the orders of the First Lady a few days ago, sparking outrage among Nigerians with many calling for his release.
He had tweeted back in June in the Hausa language that the First Lady was feeding fat on the poor people’s money.
The 500-level student was picked up from his school two weeks ago and taken straight to the Presidential Villa where he was allegedly brutalised, beaten, maltreated and humiliated by the police suspected of men belonging to the Department of State Services.