Salisu M. Indabawa

A TikToker and a law student — among others — were detained by the DSS for criticizing the governor of Kano state Abba Kabir Yusuf, in what appears to be a reckless and unlawful crackdown on freedom of expression: In almost all cases, the victims were either arrested or ‘invited’ particularly by the Department of State Services (DSS) This rising tide of repression is increasingly creating a toxic climate of fear and endangering people’s right to freedom of expression. Recent cases documented by Amnesty International show clear abuse of power and manipulation of law enforcement that are suffocating the civic space in Kano: 1. The case of Abba Ibrahim Hussain is outrageous. For criticizing the governor of Kano state, he was abducted by armed DSS personnel at his residence in Kano on Sunday. He is still in detention and at the risk of missing ongoing exams at Northwest University where he is studying law. 2. Aminu Warkal, a social media influencer and critic of the governor, was detained for five hours at the weekend by the DSS on the brazen allegation of “cyberbulling of the governor.” 3. Samir Hanga — was subjected to the intimidation that is called: ‘invitation’ by the DSS for criticizing the governor. He was only released after questioning that is solely aimed at shutting him up. 4. Abdulmajid Danbilki Kwamanda was arrested by DSS two weeks ago, and forced to withdaw a criticism against Gov. Abba Yusuf 5. Saifullahi Abubakar was unlawfully arrested and detained by the DSS for making a Tiktok skit on Gov. Abba Yusuf. Satirising those in authority is not a crime. The DSS is increasingly being used to harrass and intimidate persons who criticize the governor. It is perfectly within their right to criticize the President or the governor. No one is above criticism no matter his status. Arresting critics is unacceptable in a free society. Nigeria has seen a growing number of people using social media to comment on social and political issues, but in Kano state, with this has come an increasing threat of reprisals from the state government using — among others — intimidation, arrests and detention. The Nigerian authorities must respect, protect, promote, and fulfil the right of everyone to freedom of expression.

Free Aminu Yahaya-Shariff On August 10, 2020, Aminu Yahaya-Shariff was sentenced to death by a Kano court over alleged blasphemy. He was 22–years old when he was sentenced — through an unfair trial based on bogus charges. After releasing a song via whatsapp in March 2020, a mob burnt down his family home. His family members narrowly escaped lynching by a mob. In March 2024, Amnesty International visited Yahaya Sheriff-Aminu in detention and found him in poor health as he has severe asthma and periodically needs an inhaler and related medications. In November 2024, Amnesty International visited Yahaya Sharif-Aminu again and, although he is recuperating due to medications supplied to him, he still requires regular access to his medications. Blasphemy laws are a violation of the right to freedom of expression. Amnesty International is again calling on the Nigerian authorities to drop all charges against Aminu Yahaya-Sheriff to ensure his immediate and unconditional release.

Before you vote, remember that they promised that refineries would work after they removed subsidies They expended billions on the portharcourt refineries and Co Ask them what happened to the billions Remember, they had to rebase and change the calculation methodology before inflation hit 15%, and even with that, ask them why interest rate 27% and inflation 15% Ask them why you will have close to 50 billion in reserve and they claim they make revenue they met their target, but out of over 200 billion for health, they can only fund 36m Ask them why, despite all the promises that removal of subsidies will help them fund projects, the Ministry of works budget of over 3 trillion was just funded with 700 billion Ask them why they can't tell Nigerians that despite announcing subsidy gone in 2023, they paid subsidies until 2024 before they NNPC was forced to tell us the truth Ask them despite all their postulations. The managed floating of the Nigeria sent the currency to dizzying falls, and they still intervened like they are currently doing . Ask them as we celebrate the strides of the stockmarket, devaluation has made stock cheap. Ask them that despite importing food heavily have farmers been able to return to farms because of insecurity Ask them what happened to the Beta Edu investigation in the humanitarian ministry, till date we haven't seen anything Ask them why did we spend over 150 billion to buy a new presidential jet when we could barely fund healthcare

Amnesty International strongly condemns yet another deadly attack in which 32 persons were killed at Tungar-Makeri, Konsoko and Pissa villages of Borgu LGA Niger state. Gunmen on dozens of motorcycles moved from one village to another — leaving behind dead bodies. The gunmen that also burnt houses and shops, invaded these communities at 3:00am, and 6:00am today — and were on killing spree upto 10:00am. The exact number of people killed is yet to be ascertained, as more dead bodies are still being found in and around farms. Villagers described feeling helpless and on edge, constantly bracing themselves for attacks. The Nigerian authorities under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu had repeatedly claimed to be tackling the situation, but the mounting death toll tells a different story. Alarming escalation of attacks, abductions for ransom and frequent killings across northern Nigeria have left people feeling more unsafe, showing utter failure of the Nigerian authorities to protect lives and properties. Midway into February, over 239 people have so far been killed in various attacks in Kwara, Niger, Benue and Katsina state. These atrocities must END.

Where Is Dadiyata? The abduction of Abubakar Idris (Dadiyata) on 2 August 2019 in Kaduna is connected to to his critical voice on social media. The time for investigation is now. His family has been living with the anguish of not knowing his whereabouts. An independent, public and resourceful investigation is urgently needed to establish the truth:

SERAP sues CBN over failure to ‘account for missing N3 trillion of public funds’ serap-nigeria.org/2026/02/15/ser…

Connected Development (CODE), through its Speaker Series, continues to strengthen internal learning and practice. In this session, @Zainab__Bala led a conversation on narrative power in development communication, exploring how ethical storytelling and journalism shape public trust, elevate marginalised voices, and drive accountability, especially in Nigeria and the Global South. The takeaway? Data informs, but stories move people. #CODErs #PeopleOfCODE #SpeakerSeries

Transparency ranked Nigeria as the 36th most corrupt nation on Earth,as if they counted the number of our states.Transparency International always thinks Switzerland and other Western safe havens are not corrupt;the very places where looted money from other nations are safely deposited.

That cock-eyed provision on Electoral Transmission that the @NGRSenate just passed is an insult on the collective intelligence of Nigerians. In a functioning democracy, the Elected can NEVER be greater than the Collective Will of those who elected them. Never. The Senate President and his collaborators are brazenly giving Nigerians a heads-up that our votes will not count because that vexing clause they passed is their loophole to RIG the 2027 elections. Again, kudos to the lawmakers @HouseNGR that boldly passed a Bill which legally mandates electronic transmission of polling units results in real time with this simple and HONEST text: Clause 60(3): “INEC shall electronically transmit election results from polling units to the INEC Result Viewing Portal in real time and such transmission shall be done simultaneously with the physical collation of results.” We salute our members of the Nigerian House of Representatives for totally aligning with the Citizens’ quest for Electoral Transparency. The REAL-TIME question is whether the Akpabio-led Senate is ready for the Nigerians who have run out of patience with their shenanigans. The answer is in the hands of the Senators. It is not wise to play with fire. Transparency is always better. ✍🏾✍🏾✍🏾

The biggest issue in Nigeria right now isn’t just leadership, it’s the SYSTEM that chooses it. Rejecting e-transmission of results is a direct threat to our democracy. It opens the door to manipulation and erodes public trust. Join this vital conversation meet.google.com/rmo-zzad-fey

📢 SERAP invites you to participate in its short survey on civic space in Nigeria, including freedom of expression, media freedom, and the right to peaceful assembly. Your responses will help document citizens’ experiences, monitor human rights violations, and advocate for stronger policies that protect civic space. This Survey takes about 10 minutes to complete, and all responses are confidential. 👇🏼👇🏼 forms.gle/Fe6bnjy2PwScuv…

BREAKING: We’ve requested the Code of Conduct Bureau [@CCBNigeria ] to promptly and effectively investigate the conduct of members of the Senate who allegedly participated in the removal of the provisions on electronic transmission of election results from the Electoral Act amendment Bill during plenary, after the majority of the senators had voted for the inclusion of the provisions and without any debate on the proposed removal of the said provisions.   We also request the Bureau to promptly and effectively investigate the conduct of any members of the National Assembly and officers of the executive branch who allegedly altered the Tax Reform Bills, which resulted in the reported discrepancies between the harmonised versions of the tax reform bills passed by the National Assembly and the copies signed into law and gazetted by the Federal Government.   The petition was sent to Dr. Abdullahi Usman Bello, Chairman, Code of Conduct Bureau. Where lawmaking is shaped by abuse of office and conflict of interest, it ceases to be a legitimate exercise of constitutional and fiduciary responsibility and becomes a legal and ethical infraction prohibited under the Code of Conduct for Public Officers.

SERAP Petitions CCB Over Electoral Act Amendment, Tax Laws newtelegraphng.com/serap-petition…

NBA URGES NATIONAL ASSEMBLY TO REVERSE SENATE POSITION, PASS AMENDMENT ON ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION OF ELECTION RESULTS The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has adopted a report by the President of the Association, Max Afam Osigwe, SAN @afamosigwe strongly urging the National Assembly to vote in favour of the proposed amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of the Electoral Amendment Bill, which seeks to compel the electronic transmission of election results. At its meeting held in Maiduguri, Borno State, on the 5th of February, 2026, NEC deliberated on the President’s report which drew attention to the recent decision of the Senate to reject a proposed amendment to Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Amendment Bill. The rejected proposal would have mandated presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to electronically transmit polling unit results in real time to the INEC Result Viewing (IREV) portal, immediately after Form EC8A had been duly signed, stamped, and countersigned by party agents. Instead, the Senate resolved to retain the existing provision of the Electoral Act, which merely states that “the presiding officer shall transfer the results, including the total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot, in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.” NEC noted with concern that this discretionary wording weakens the legal foundation for transparent, real-time result transmission and leaves room for manipulation, ambiguity, and post-election disputes. In adopting the President’s report, NEC resolved that the National Assembly must urgently revisit and pass the proposed amendment to Clause 60(3) to expressly mandate electronic transmission of results from polling units. NEC emphasised that clear statutory compulsion, rather than discretionary phrasing, is essential to guaranteeing electoral transparency, protecting the integrity of votes cast, and restoring public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process. NEC further observed that credible elections are the bedrock of constitutional democracy and that continued resistance to enforceable electronic transmission provisions undermines democratic accountability. The Council stressed that technology-backed transparency is no longer optional in a modern democracy and that Nigeria must align its electoral framework with global best practices. Accordingly, NEC called on members of the National Assembly to demonstrate legislative responsibility and statesmanship by voting in favour of the proposed amendment compelling electronic transmission of election results. The Council reaffirmed the NBA’s commitment to sustained engagement and advocacy to ensure that Nigeria’s electoral laws clearly reflect the will of the people as expressed at the ballot.

Dear @SenHanga @kokisagir I am a member of your constituency, Kano Municipal. I want to know your position on the Electoral Act amendment 2026 Section 60(3), relating to real-time electronic transmission of results ahead of the 2027 election. Looking forward to your response.

The third and final day of the World Governments Summit is live. Through engaging sessions, speakers will tackle global challenges and explore forward-thinking solutions to shape a better future. twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…

@ICTAdvocates MFN Project Officer, Mr. Sani Sa’idu, set the moral compass of the conversation and led the forum titled "GBV—From Silence to Responsibility: What Does Kano Owe its Women and Girls?" at the ongoing CITAD MFN Public Enlightenment Forum in Kano State. @YZYau

Nigeria’s Bloody Tuesday Tuesday 3 February 2026 was bloody in some parts of Nigeria with gunmen killing dozens of people in: Woro and Nuku — Kwara state Doma Tafoki — Katsina State Abande — Benue state Alarming escalation of attacks, abductions for ransom and frequent killings across Nigeria have left people feeling more unsafe, showing utter failure of the Nigerian authorities to protect lives and properties. Incessant killings and the stunning failure of the authorities to end them and bring suspected perpetrators to justice have been and continues to be a threat to the right to life in Nigeria.

Real men protect women. Join the fight against gender-based violence. Stand tall. Be an ally. Make history. @ICTAdvocates @YZYau @centrelsd @FordFoundation

Security experts warn of the dangers of ceding stateless patches of West Africa to insurgents.