Adamawa Blogger Detained For Allegedly Criticising Local Govt Chairman, Akham Jalo, On Facebook

The incident has triggered outrage among human rights defenders, who say the arrest represents a dangerous attempt to shrink civic space and silence dissenting voices in Nigeria’s democratic process.

Akham Jalo, Executive Chairman of Demsa Local Government Area of Adamawa State, has ordered the arrest and detention of Innocent Godiya, a young blogger, for allegedly criticising him in a Facebook post.

The incident has triggered outrage among human rights defenders, who say the arrest represents a dangerous attempt to shrink civic space and silence dissenting voices in Nigeria’s democratic process.

They describe the detention as unlawful, unconstitutional, and an affront to democratic principles.

For instance, Amnesty International has called for the immediate and unconditional release of Godiya.

“Innocent Godiya did not commit any crime and his arrest shows clear abuse of power. It is perfectly within his right to criticize any government official — no matter his position or status,” the organisation said.

“The Facebook post for which Innocent Godiya is being subjected to these atrocities is within the frame of fair comment and criticism. Plans to put him through a sham trial are pure intimidation and harassment of dissenting voices.”

Also, in a statement, Suleiman A. Abubakar, a human rights activist and concerned citizen, said the arrest amounts to harassment and intimidation aimed at stifling free speech.

He urged the Nigeria Police Force, Adamawa State Command, human rights defenders, civil society organisations, journalists, and the youth of Adamawa State to press for Godiya’s unconditional release and to hold those responsible to account.

The activist condemned the arrest and detention of Godiya, describing it as an attack on democratic freedoms. The activist stressed that such actions undermine freedom of expression and amount to intimidation and harassment of citizens.

He said, “By orchestrating the arrest of Innocent Godiya, Honourable Akham Jalo and his collaborators within the security apparatus have flagrantly violated Section 39 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which states: “Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference.”

“They have also violated Section 35 (1), which guarantees the right to personal liberty and protects every citizen from unlawful arrest and arbitrary detention, and Section 41 (1), which affirms freedom of movement, now curtailed by his unlawful detention.”

He said the case of Innocent Godiya is not just about one individual but about the collective future of free speech, democracy, and accountability in Nigeria.

“If left unchecked, this dangerous precedent will embolden other public officials to abuse power and weaponize state institutions against critics,” he said.

“We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Innocent Godiya. Democracy cannot thrive where intimidation and arbitrary detention are used as weapons against dissent.”