Amnesty International has condemned the continued detention of Kabiru Ibrahim Dallah, describing it as unlawful and a violation of his right to freedom of expression, and has demanded his immediate and unconditional release.
Dallah was reportedly arrested over comments deemed critical of the Secretary to the Government of Nasarawa State, Laraban Shu’aibu Magaji, a move the rights group says reflects growing intolerance for dissent.
In a statement issued on Monday, Amnesty said Dallah has been held for more than 40 days at the Lafia Correctional Centre under what it described as deplorable conditions, despite the absence of any lawful justification for his continued detention.
The organisation also alleged that authorities plan to subject him to a “sham trial” based on baseless charges, noting that multiple bail applications have been rejected without explanation.
Amnesty warned that Dallah’s case highlights a wider pattern of abuse of state power to silence critics, particularly young Nigerians expressing opinions online, and urged authorities to end what it described as a dangerous clampdown on free speech.