Police arrest 70-year-old man for ‘insulting’ Buhari, Masari

TRACKING___The Police in Katsina State said on Thursday evening that they have arrested three persons for allegedly insulting the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), and Governor Aminu Masari on social media.

The police titled the statement ‘Conspiracy and intentional insult against the President and Governor of Katsina state by one Lawal Izala and two others on social media’.

But the statement neither stated when the offence was committed nor reveal when the suspects were arrested.

The spokesman for the Katsina police command, SP Gambo Isah, signed the statement.

The statement gave the names of those arrested as Lawal Abdullahi, 70; Bahaje Abu, 30 and Hamza Abubakar, 27.

The statement warned against taking “undue” advantage of social media to heap insults on others.

The statement read, “The attention of the Katsina State Police Command has been drawn to a viral video on social media showing one Lawal Abdullahi, alias “IZALA”, ‘m’, aged 70yrs of Gafai Quarters, Katsina, Katsina State, who was contemptuously insulting the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, and His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Bello Masari, CFR.

“Consequently, the Commissioner of Police, Katsina State Command, CP Sanusi Buba, ordered for investigation, which led to the arrest of the trio of Lawal Abdullahi Izala, ‘m’, aged 70yrs, Bahajaje Abu, ‘m’, aged 30yrs and Hamza Abubakar, ‘m’, aged 27yrs all of Gafai Quarters, Katsina, Katsina state.

“In the course of investigation suspects confessed to the committing the offences.

“To this end, the Command wishes to warn members of the general public that the Police will not fold its arms and watch while disgruntled elements violate the sacred laws of the land.

“Any person found taking undue advantage of the social media to insult others, contrary to the provisions of the Cyber Crime Act, will face the wrath of the law.”