The Kwara State Police Command at the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters in Ilorin has arrested and detained investigative journalist Buhari Olanrewaju Ahmed and activist Saidu Musa Tsaragi. The detention of the journalist and activist on July 10 followed their condemnation of a government-backed violent attack on protesters. According to reports, the protests, held on July 9, were sparked by a surge in kidnappings across several communities in Kwara State.
They were arrested and detained after the Special Adviser to the Kwara State Governor on Social Investment, Abubakar Sadiq Buhari, filed charges of defamation, cybercrime, and criminal conspiracy against them. The arrests came a day after thugs, reportedly accompanied by two police officers from the Kwara State Government House, violently dispersed protesters who were demanding accountability from the government over rising insecurity in the state.
The attack was allegedly led by Kale Alanamu, with backing from Alhaji Muyideen Aliyu, the Governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Security, and Abubakar Sadiq Buhari. The thugs did not only brutalise the protesters, but also assaulted plainclothes officers from the State Intelligence Department (SID) who were monitoring the demonstration.
Protesters’ mobile phones were confiscated, and sensitive videos were forcibly deleted by the police officers accompanying the thugs. This provoked public condemnation by both Buhari Olanrewaju Ahmed and Saidu Musa Tsaragi, who decried the excessive use of force and highlighted that the attack violated the protesters’ constitutional right to peaceful assembly.
The very next day, the two received a police invitation over a complaint by Abubakar Sadiq Buhari alleging defamation. Upon honouring the invitation, they were placed under arrest. According to reports, the police sought to remand them, but the Kwara Magistrate Court did not sit on the matter. The police then secured a remand order directly from the court registrar, effectively bypassing judicial process to keep them in detention.
MFWA strongly condemns the use of civil and cyber laws to criminalise journalistic criticism and civic dissent. Detaining a journalist for exposing or condemning state violence undermines democracy and violates constitutional protections, including freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and the press.
We call on the Kwara State Government and the Nigerian authorities to drop all charges against Buhari Olanrewaju Ahmed and Saidu Musa Tsaragi immediately, respect judicial independence, and avoid using defamation and cybercrime legislation as instruments of intimidation.
The treatment of Buhari Olanrewaju Ahmed and Saidu Musa Tsaragi sends a chilling message to civic voices across Nigeria. Media freedoms must not be stifled under the guise of defamation or cybercrime enforcement. Freedom of expression and peaceful dissent are essential foundations of good governance and accountability.
