Amnesty International has condemned the arrest, detention and four-year prison sentence imposed on 23-year-old journalist Farida Isiak in Kaduna State, describing the development as vindictive and an attempt to silence criticism of police conduct.
Isiak, a reporter with Nagarta Radio in Kaduna, was reportedly arrested around 10 p.m. on Monday, October 20, by police officers under the command of the Divisional Police Officer of Mararaban Jos, Usman Adamu.
According to Amnesty International, the incident began with a disagreement between Isiak’s mother and a neighbour over ₦100 change during a charcoal sale. Police officers initially arrested her mother and later detained her father when he went to secure her release, allegedly using their detention to compel the journalist to report to the police station.
Upon her arrival, Isiak was accused of defaming the police in a Facebook post criticising what she described as the unlawful treatment of her parents.
The rights organisation said Isiak complied with the officers’ demands to delete the post and apologise in the hope of securing her parents’ release. However, she was allegedly kept in custody and taken to a Sharia Court in Kawo, where she was sentenced to four years in prison or a fine of ₦1.75 million on defamation charges.
Amnesty International criticised the proceedings, alleging that the court failed to address the initial police conduct and the circumstances that led to the journalist’s arrest.
The organisation described the arrest and sentencing as an abuse of power and an attempt to use the judicial system to intimidate journalists and restrict freedom of expression.
It also condemned the alleged detention of Isiak’s parents as a means of forcing her to surrender, saying the action violated the rule of law.
“Demanding accountability for police actions is a constitutional right,” the organisation said, stressing the importance of protecting journalists’ ability to report and criticise public institutions.
Amnesty International called on the Kaduna State Police Command and Nigerian judicial authorities to secure Isiak’s immediate release, drop the charges against her and cancel the fine imposed by the court.
It further urged the Nigeria Police Force to conduct a full and independent investigation into the conduct of the officers involved in the alleged detention of the journalist’s parents.
The organisation also called on Nigerian authorities to stop using defamation charges and legal proceedings to harass journalists and restrict press freedom.
