Aisha Buhari says the NANS will protest if Aminu Mohammed is sentenced to prison

THE National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has announced plans for a nationwide protest to demand the release of Aminu Adamu Mohammed, who was arrested by security operatives for tweeting a scathing attack on President Muhammadu Buhari’s wife, Hajiya Aisha Buhari.

Aminu, a student of the Federal University in Dutse, Jigawa State’s capital, was picked up by security operatives last week and whisked to Abuja over comments about Hajiya Aisha’s weight.

He was arraigned in Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court Number 14 on Tuesday and later remanded in prison.

In response to the development, the NANS leadership announced in a statement issued by its president, Usman Umar Barambu, that the students’ body had scheduled a nationwide protest for Monday, December 5.

“Sequel to the exhaustion of every option available to us prior to confrontation in seeking the freedom of one of us who was arrested in a questionable manner, tortured, molested, harassed, and detained by government agents, you are hereby notified of the decision of the NANS leadership to proceed on a nationwide protest,” the statement reads.

“We have consulted and consolidated, but neither has yielded desirable results in our efforts to free Aminu Adamu Mohammed, a student at the Federal University of Dutse; thus, the protest will begin as follows:

“On Monday, December 5, 2022, there will be a nationwide protest.” Please keep in mind that the protest will continue until he is unconditionally released.

“The protest is directed at the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, and the President’s wife, Aisha Muhammadu-Buhari.”

In addition, the NANS Southwest Zone has urged security agencies to release Mohammed immediately and unconditionally.

If the First Lady does not order Mohammed’s release, the group has threatened to close major roads across the Southwest in protest.

Mohammed, a 500-level student at Federal University in Dutse, Jigawa State’s capital, was charged and remanded in Niger State’s Suleja Correctional Centre for tweeting that the First Lady was eating fat on the poor people’s money.

The students’ body condemned Mohammed’s continued detention in a joint statement issued yesterday by the zonal coordinator of NANS Southwest Zone D, Adegboye Emmanuel Olatunji, and the Chairman of NANS in Ogun State, Simeon Damilola Kehinde.

A coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has also demanded Aminu Adamu Mohammed’s immediate and unconditional release.

“The Students’ Wing of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) wishes to join all concerned Nigerians in condemning in its entirety the impunity with which Nigeria’s First Lady, Aisha Buhari, ordered the unlawful arrest and perpetual detention without trial of a fellow student of the Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State, Aminu Adamu,” the coalition said in a statement issued yesterday by its Secretary General, Iskil Abubakar.

“CNG finds Lady Aisha Buhari’s and the Department of State Services’ (DSS) actions concerning the arrest of a young Nigerian for merely making a remark on Twitter to be deeply disturbing.”

“By whatever Lingua Franca, the First Lady’s action smacks of gross abuse of power, insensitivity to the plight of Nigerian students, and is thus unwarranted and unacceptable…”