Friday, October 23, 2026 - Amnesty International has called for the immediate release of 23-year-old Nagarta Radio journalist Farida Isiak, who was sentenced to four years in prison with the option of a N1.75 million fine after a Facebook post criticizing police officers in Kaduna State.
The rights group stated that her arrest and 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," the organization said.
According to Amnesty International, the ordeal started from
a minor dispute over a N100 change between Isiak's mother and a neighbor during
a charcoal transaction. Police initially arrested her mother, detained her
father when he went to secure her release, and used them as leverage to force
Isiak to the station.
Although Isiak deleted the critical Facebook post and
apologized under pressure, officers kept her in custody and arraigned her
before a Sharia Court in Kawo. The presiding judge handed down the sentence for
defamation while "completely ignoring the initial police misconduct and
the abusive actions that led to the incident."
Amnesty International condemned the action as "a
flagrant abuse of power by the police and weaponization of the judicial system
to silence free speech and intimidate journalists."
The organization demanded that the Kaduna State Police
Command and judicial authorities immediately release Isiak, drop all charges,
cancel the fine, and launch an independent investigation into the officers
involved.
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