A STUDENT of Federal University Dutse (FUD), Aminu Adamu Muhammed, who was in the custody of security operatives and later released over a tweet tagged as defamatory against the wife of the president, Aisha Buhari has continued to generate debate.

Aisha has been Nigeria's first lady since 2015, when President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration assumed office.

Adamu, a 23-year-old, 500-level student studying environmental management, was allegedly arrested on November 18 for a post he tweeted on his Twitter page on June 8. In some quarters, the arrest has been likened to abduction, citing that due process was not followed.

After public outcry, the detained critic was released from Suleja correctional facility on December 2, 2022.

The student alluding to her weight gain, wrote in Hausa, “Su Mama anchi kudin talakawa ankoshi", which translates to "Mother has fed fat on public fund", mother here referring to  Aisha.

Aminu's tweet that generated controversy

Muhammad was reported to have been beaten up alongside a former social media aide to the first lady, Zainab Kazeem, before he was eventually arraigned.

At the time, a call to the Police spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi,  in reaction to the claim that Adamu was arrested, told The ICIR via text message that he was unaware of the student's arrest, although several media platforms reported that the student has been arraigned and was remanded.  

The issue generated reactions from Nigerians, with many describing it as a misuse of power and abuse of government apparatus while citing the arrest as not in conformity with democratic principles. The hashtag #FreeAminu was also created on social media.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/special-report-aisha-buhari-can-aminu-adamu-sue/