The First Lady, Aisha Buhari, has withdrawn the case against the final year student of the Federal University, Dutse, Aminu Mohammed, following pressure and condemnation by activists, Amnesty International, the National Association of Nigerian Students, and other citizens.
The prosecution counsel Fidelis Ogbobe, withdrawing the case on behalf of Mrs Buhari, said the First Lady, being the mother of the nation, decided to withdraw the case, following the intervention of “well-meaning Nigerians.”
Moving a motion for the withdrawal of the case, Ogbobe cited section 108 subsection 2(a) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
Justice Yusuf Halilu of the FCT High Court commended Mrs Buhari for withdrawing the case.
Halilu, while issuing the release warrant, called on parents to always monitor their children to avoid recurrence
According to a police report, Mr Muhammed was arrested at Federal University Dutse on November 18, 2022, after Mrs Buhari instructed a team of police detectives to track him down.
The Presidency had reportedly barred visitors from visiting inmates at the Suleja Correctional Centre, Niger State, following the arrest of Aminu.
The Punch correspondent who visited the facility, on Thursday, as an undercover journalist, observed heightened security presence, with a note that reads “No Visitation,” pasted at the entrance.
A security operative who attended to the journalist at the facility noted that there was an order from the Presidency barring all forms of visitation following Aminu’s arrival at the facility.
Speaking anonymously, he said, “We can’t let you into the facility. No one is allowed to see Aminu. In fact, since he was brought in on Tuesday, no one has been allowed to visit inmates within the facility. You can read the note on the wall, no visitation is allowed, and I don’t want to lose my job.”
The officer, however, noted that Aminu has lacked food since he arrived at the facility on Tuesday, adding that he only had N2000 on him which had been spent, and could not afford to get food since no one has been allowed to visit or call him.
He added, “I feel for the boy, he arrived here with just N2000, and it is finished. He complained of hunger today, but there was nothing we could do since no one has been allowed to visit or call him. He only ate bread this morning.”
