Aminu: Student sent to prison for allegedly abusing Aisha Buhari

Aminu Mohammed, a student of the Federal University, Dutse Jigawa, has been remanded in Suleja Correctional Centre in Niger State after channeling his frustrations towards wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, in a tweet.

Mohammed was arraigned at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court No. 14 in Abuja on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, on the offence of cyber stalking and was denied bail despite pleading not guilty to the charges leveled against him.

This was disclosed by Mohammed's lawyer, CK Agu, while speaking with BBC Hausa on Wednesday, November 30, 2022.

The lawyer explained that, “Even in the court session yesterday, we notified the judge about the efforts made to have him released on bail, but we did not receive any reply from the police.

He added that, “We applied to the court to release the student on bail on health grounds and the fact that he will sit for the exam on December 5. The court has ordered the police to provide the bail application before it for consideration between Tuesday and Wednesday."

In his ruling, Justice Yusuf Halilu ordered the defendant to be remanded in Suleja Prison pending the hearing and determination of his bail application.

The court said the application already filed by Mohamed's lawyer will be heard before the week runs out.

The one count charge read: ” That you Aminu Adamu, male of Anguwar Sarakuna, Bauch, Bauchi state sometime between May – June 2022 within the jurisdiction of this Honorable 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 anchi kudi talakawa ankoshi’ 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.”

What you should know: Several reports have claimed that the final-year student of the Department of Environmental Management, was arrested on the order of Mrs Buhari following his tweet back in June.

Mohammed had, during the industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), tweeted in Hausa that the First Lady was feeding fat on the common patrimony of the poor.

The tweet read, “Su mama Anchi Kudin Talakawa an koshi,” meaning, “Mama has fed fat on poor people’s money.”

DSS pounces on Mohammed: The student, who hails from Azare in Bauchi state, was picked up on campus by men of the Department of State Services (DSS) and taken straight to the Presidential Villa where he was allegedly brutalised, beaten, maltreated and humiliated by the officers in First Lady's presence.

Mohammed's ordeal in the hands of the authority has sparked outrage among Nigerians with many calling for his unconditional release.