Senator Ali Ndume has condemned the arrest and prosecution of a woman activist, Hamdiya Sidi by the police and Sokoto state government.
The senator, representing Borno North in the National Assembly said the woman should be encouraged by the authority rather than being vilified and harrased by them.
Recall that anger had recently greeted the arrest and arraignment in court of Sidi by the state police command after he openly condemned the government for failing to contain the activities of terrorists and bandits disturbing her community.
Not a few Nigerians expressed their support for the young woman for daring to speak out for her peoples, calling on the authority to stop harassing her.
Speaking Ndume said the police should stop harassing the woman for drawing attention to the killings by bandits, saying Sidi should not be silenced for speaking truth to power.
Following her arrest last week, serious pressure was mounted on the police which later released her.
But not long after she was released, suspected hoodlums from the state government were said to have attacked her home, abducted ans beaten her up leaving her with serious injuries.
They accused her of embarrassing and inciting the public against the state government.
Following the anger that greeted her arrest, last week, the state police command said Sidi was arrested for inciting the public against the government.
A statement releaed by the spokesman of the command, Ahmad Rufai claimee “Sidi was inciting the women against the government by telling them to forcefully take over government properties in Wammako local government area of Sokoto state.’
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The statement read, “The attention of the Nigeria police force sokoto command has been drawn to the ongoing falsehood and misinformation circulated by gistcore media and other social media handles on the purported story that the Nigeria police Sokoto command secretly arrested and arrainged a woman who lamented on the recent rise in killings in Sokoto for embarrassing Governor Aliyu Ahmed Sokoto.
“We wish to make the record straight, i. On the 3rd of November 2024 at 1700hrs one Marafa Yakubu ‘m’ the village head of Sabon Birnin Daji village in Wurno local government area reported to the police that a woman later identified as one Hamdiyya Sidi ‘f’ of Munki village in Wurno local government area came to the village and deceived him that she is a member of that community representing a charitable organization meant to assist women and youth, that she wanted to address woman and distribute relief items to the less privileged in the society.
“To his greatest dismay while she was addressing the women he noticed that rather than distributing relief items as she claimed, she was inciting the women against the government by telling them to forcefully take over government properties in Wammako local government area of Sokoto state, stating that it belongs to them. Noticing the tension in the community as a result of her incitement, he quickly alerted the community guards who arrested her and handed her over to the police.
“During interrogation, the suspect confessed to the offence and was charged to court within 24hrs for the offence of inciting disturbance.
“ii. One of our constitutional responsibilies is to investigate crimes both simple and capital in nature, to this end, the case of Hamdiyya is no exception.
“iii. Therefore, the Commissioner of police urges all citizens to be wary of the kind of information they throw into the public space and refrain from false and misleading information that could ignite disaffection and disrupt the fragile peace the state is enjoying.
“iv. Sokoto state police command remains resolute in upholding the fundamental human rights while discharging our duty.”
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