Amnesty International Accuses Zamfara Police Of Detaining Sokoto Governor’s Teenage Critic Amid Health Crisis
Amnesty International has accused the Zamfara State Police Command of unlawfully detaining Hamdiyya Sidi Sharif, a teenage critic of Sokoto State Governor Ahmad Aliyu, on orders from Police Commissioner Ibrahim Balarabe Maikaba.
Despite Hamdiyya’s critical medical condition following her abduction, she remains in custody, the rights group said. She was found recently at Bakura General Hospital in Zamfara State after disappearing mysteriously in Sokoto amid ongoing legal and political persecution for criticizing the governor’s administration.
Sokoto police have insisted on her transfer back to their jurisdiction, even though her health remains fragile.
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“The Nigerian authorities must guarantee her safety. Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s alarming intolerance of dissent through heavy-handed suppression of critics is unacceptable in a free society,” Amnesty International stated on Friday.
At a January court hearing, Hamdiyya’s lawyer was granted armed police protection after facing intimidation and hostility, with reports that both he and Hamdiyya were stalked and harassed during legal proceedings in Sokoto.
Amnesty urged the Sokoto government and Nigerian security agencies to stop suppressing dissent and instead focus on the severe insecurity in the region, where armed groups continue to kill, abduct, and terrorize communities.
Repeated attempts to reach Zamfara police officials, including the spokesperson and police commissioner, for comment went unanswered.
Hamdiyya initially came to public attention in November 2024 after her arrest and secret arraignment over a TikTok video criticizing Governor Aliyu. She faced charges of using insulting language and inciting disturbance and was denied access to legal counsel and family, drawing condemnation from human rights advocates.
Since then, she has reportedly been subjected to threats, cyberbullying, and harassment, allegedly by supporters of the Sokoto State government.
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