Your ‘Tyranny’ Remains Unacceptable, Atiku Tells Governor Bago

<p>Your<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;">OpenLife Nigeria<&sol;a><&sol;strong> reports that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar&comma; former Vice President of the federal Republic of Nigeria has taken exception to the administration of Governor Umaru Bago of Niger State&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Describing it as &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Tryranny&comma;” Atiku emphasized that the arrest and detention of Abubakar Isah Mokwa&comma; a post-graduate student of the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University&comma; Lapai &lpar;IBBUL is &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;shameful&period;”<br &sol;>&NewLine;Below is Atiku’s statement<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>It has come to my attention that Abubakar Isah Mokwa&comma; a post-graduate student of the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University&comma; Lapai &lpar;IBBUL&rpar;&comma; has been arrested and detained for over a week for merely expressing his opinion about Governor Umaru Bago of Niger State&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>This development is both outrageous and unacceptable&period; It is a dangerous sign of how far our country has descended into intolerance and repression&comma; where citizens’ rights are trampled and dissenting voices are silenced under the guise of enforcing the so-called Cybercrimes Act&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>Let it be clear&colon; defamation is a civil matter&comma; not a criminal offence&period; To weaponise it for political witch-hunts is a betrayal of justice and a grave assault on democracy itself&period; The ruling party’s misuse of state power to intimidate citizens&comma;<a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;vanguardngr&period;com&sol;"> journalists&comma;<&sol;a> and the opposition through arbitrary arrests has become a shameful routine that must stop&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>The continued incarceration of Abubakar Mokwa and others persecuted under this unjust law stands condemned&period; This tyranny in disguise has no place in a free society&period; I demand his immediate and unconditional release and urge all well-meaning Nigerians to rise in defence of free speech and civil liberty&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>Cyberstalking and cyberbullying must never be used as smokescreen to muzzle critics or suppress truth&period; Our nation already has adequate laws to address defamation without resorting to such draconian tactics&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>I therefore call for the immediate repeal or comprehensive amendment of the Cybercrimes Act&comma; which has become a convenient tool for gagging citizens and waging war against democracy&comma; freedom&comma; and dissent&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>History will not be kind to those who criminalise truth&period; -AA<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;