Amnesty International Nigeria has condemned the arrest, detention and ‘hasty’ sentencing of Farida Isiak, a 23-year-old journalist in Kaduna State, describing the case as vindictive and an abuse of power.
In a statement on Wednesday, the rights group said the journalist’s ordeal followed her criticism of police’s handling of a case involving her parents.
According to Amnesty, Isiak, a reporter with Nagarta Radio in Kaduna, was arrested around 10:00 pm on Tuesday, October 20, by officers under the command of the Divisional Police Officer of Mararaban Jos, Usman Adamu.
It added that the incident began as a minor disagreement between Isiak’s mother and a neighbour over a N100 change dispute during a sale of charcoal.
The group said police officers initially arrested her mother and later detained her father when he went to secure her release, allegedly using their detention as leverage to compel the journalist to report to the station.
Amnesty said that when Isiak arrived at the station, officers accused her of defaming them because of a Facebook post she wrote criticising their treatment of her parents.
The rights group said she complied with police demands to delete the post and apologise in the hope of securing her parents’ release, but officers kept her in custody and rushed her to a Sharia Court in Kawo.
The presiding judge sentenced her to four years in prison or a fine of N1.75 million on charges of defamation.
In its statement titled “Kaduna: Arrest and Hasty Sentencing of Journalist Farida Isiak is Vindictive,” the group said, “Amnesty International strongly condemns the arbitrary arrest, detention, and rushed sentencing of 23-year-old journalist Farida Isiak by authorities in Kaduna State.
“Her arrest and subsequent punishment were clearly because of her attempt to expose abuses by the police. Sentencing a journalist to 4-years in prison after a sham trial is a travesty of justice.”
It added, “The arrest, detention, and hasty sentencing of Farida Isiak are a flagrant abuse of power by the police and weaponisation of the judicial system to silence free speech and intimidate journalists. Arresting and holding a citizen’s parents to force a journalist to hand herself over is an unlawful tactic that violates rule of law.”
The organisation called on the Kaduna State Police Command and judicial authorities to immediately release Isiak, drop all charges and cancel the fine, while urging the Nigeria Police Force to launch a full and independent investigation into the conduct of the officers involved.
Amnesty also urged Nigerian authorities to stop using defamation charges and the legal system to harass journalists and restrict press freedom.
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