Amnesty International Nigeria has called on the Federal Government to immediately and unconditionally release Imran Usman Wakili, who was allegedly arrested over social media posts criticising the turnout at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign flag-off in Kaduna State.
The human rights organisation said Wakili was also being targeted because of his support for former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, whom it said had been unlawfully detained for more than 260 days.
In a statement, Amnesty International described Wakili’s detention as unlawful and accused the authorities of disregarding due process.
The organisation alleged that security operatives tracked Wakili to his residence in an estate in Karu, on the outskirts of Abuja, on October 29.
According to Amnesty International, armed police officers arrived at the estate at about 4:30pm and asked security personnel to direct them to Wakili’s apartment.
When the officers reportedly discovered that he was not at home, they arrested his younger brother, who lives with him, and the estate manager.
Amnesty International expressed concern over Wakili’s safety, alleging that he had been denied access to his family and lawyer.
The group said his detention appeared to be punishment for his critical social media posts, insisting that expressing an opinion on matters of public interest was within his rights.
It argued that social media posts considered offensive by government officials or public figures do not, under international human rights standards, justify arbitrary detention.
The organisation urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to end what it described as persistent violations of human rights, respect due process and ensure Wakili’s immediate and unconditional release.
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