The Borno State Police Command has arrested a social media activist, Sultan Usman, for allegedly defaming the character of the Executive Secretary of the Borno State Geographic Information Service, Adam Bababe.
Usman’s arrest followed a social media exchange in which he criticised Bababe over the state government’s flood prevention efforts.
After a flood incident in the state in September, Bababe had posted on X, formerly Twitter, stating that the government faced resistance from communities while attempting to implement flood control measures.
“Emergency Lovers of Borno… kindly note that the government faced strong resistance from the public to enforce prevention,” Bababe wrote.
“Go through our activities and go around all flood-prone areas to ask them if we hadn’t warned them or marked their houses since 2020. They know what they bought.”
The post attracted various reactions, including one from Usman.
According to Premium Times, Bababe alleged that Usman later made another abusive social media post in March, which was quickly deleted.
Bababe subsequently reported him to the police, leading to Usman’s arrest on Monday.
Borno State Police Public Relations Officer, Nahum Daso, confirmed the arrest, stating that Usman was apprehended for alleged cyberstalking and defamation.
However, Usman’s lawyer, Hamza Dantani, described the arrest and detention as illegal.
“The crime he committed is bailable. But what annoyed me the most was that Engr. Bababe at first told me he was going to give an order for his release after he spent three days in detention, but he didn’t,” Dantani said.
“When I contacted him for the second time, he said he was briefed at the station and changed his mind.”
Meanwhile, the Borno State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Lawal, confirmed Usman’s detention but said he was released around 2:30 pm on Friday following an apology offered on his behalf by his father.
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