Amnesty seeks protection for woman charged with insulting Sokoto governor

Amnesty International has asked Nigerian authorities to investigate threats against Hamdiyya Sidi and her lawyer, Abba Hikima, amid ongoing court proceedings in Sokoto state.

The Sokoto state government had charged Sidi with “use of insulting or abusive language” and “inciting disturbance” after she criticised Ahmed Aliyu, the state governor, in a TikTok post.

BACKGROUND

Sidi, 18, was reportedly arrested on November 9, 2024. She was thereafter detained and subsequently released.

On November 13, Sidi was abducted by armed men while on her way to retrieve her phone from a charging point.

She was allegedly beaten, thrown out of a moving tricycle, and left with severe injuries.

Following the incident, she was rearrested and subsequently charged in a Sharia court by the Sokoto state government.

AMNESTY CONDEMNS THREATS

In a statement on Monday, Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International Nigeria director, described the threats against Sidi and her lawyer as disturbing.

“Right now, apart from facing persecution for exercising freedom of expression, Hamdiyya Sidi Shariff and her lawyer Abba Hikima are being subjected to threats,” Sanusi said.

The statement alleged that the pair had been harassed through phone calls, in-person confrontations by individuals posing as “intelligence agents”, and intimidation by “sponsored thugs”.

Amnesty International noted that during the last court session, Hikima had to request armed police protection due to the tense atmosphere in the courtroom.

The organisation said while in Sokoto for the trial, Sidi and her lawyer were stalked at their hotel and accosted by unknown individuals.

Amnesty condemned what it described as the governor’s “frightening intolerance of dissenting voices” while urging authorities to guarantee the safety of Sidi and Hikima during court appearances and their stay in Sokoto.

“These actions represent an alarming abuse of power and a calculated attempt to intimidate and punish those who speak out for their society and lawyers defending them,” Sanusi said.

Amnesty International also criticised the Sokoto state government for “prioritising silencing critics over addressing pressing security concerns”.

“Instead of attempting to suppress dissenting voices, Sokoto state government and the Nigerian security agencies should focus on addressing rampant insecurity facing particularly the people of the eastern part of Sokoto state where gunmen have been killing people, razing villages, abducting women and girls — almost daily,” Sanusi added.