Amnesty International Slams Sokoto Government For Sharia Court Charges Against Hamdiyya Sidi Sharif, Demands All Charges Dropped

Amnesty International has urged the Sokoto State government to immediately dismiss all charges against Hamdiyya Sidi Sharif, who is being prosecuted for criticising Governor Ahmad Aliyu on social media. The global rights organisation also called for a thorough investigation into her abduction by suspected thugs.

Hamdiyya, a resident of Sokoto, gained attention after posting a video online highlighting insecurity in the state. In the video, she talked about the extreme banditry in the state and described the dire conditions of displaced women in the state who faced exploitation due to extreme poverty.

Her remarks deemed critical of Governor Aliyu, led to charges of “inciting women against the government by telling them to take over government properties forcefully”. She is set to face trial in a Sharia court in Achida, Sokoto State.

In a statement issued via social media, Amnesty International condemned the charges and called for Hamdiyya’s unconditional release. They emphasised that freedom of expression is protected under the Nigerian Constitution and criticised the state’s actions as an attempt to silence dissent.

The rights group also detailed an incident of Hamdiyya’s abduction on November 13. According to their statement, she was attacked after visiting a local charging station, beaten, and thrown from a moving tricycle, leaving her with severe injuries.

“Sokoto state Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s frightening intolerance of dissenting voices through a heavy-handed clampdown on critics is unacceptable in a free society,” Amnesty stated. “No one should be punished solely for expressing opinions critical of the government or people in government”.

Since her video went viral, Hamdiyya has reportedly received numerous threats. Amnesty International called on the Sokoto State government to “immediately and unconditionally drop all the trumped up charges against Hamdiyya and to impartially investigate her abduction by sponsored thugs”.

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