THE Kaduna State Police Command has criticised the media for covering and amplifying the case involving Farida Isiak, a journalist with Nagarta Radio, Kaduna, following allegations of arbitrary arrest, detention, and immediate sentencing.
In a press statement issued by its spokesperson, Mansur Hassan, the command said the matter arose from a Facebook post in which Isiak criticised the Nigeria Police Force and the DPO, making comments he claimed referred to the officer’s wife.
“The Command wishes to state that the matter arose from a social media post made by the journalist on her Facebook page, containing statements directed at the Nigeria Police Force, the police officer concerned, and his family,” Hassan said.
The police spokesperson claimed that the post included the following words: “THE POLICE FORCE IS FUCKED UP THAT’S WHY THEY DON’T END WELL. I’M GOING TO TAG YOU TO THIS POST SO YOU KNOW I’M TALKING ABOUT YOUR WIFE, NOT SO SORRY TO SAY, YOU MARRIED WRONG. MARABAN JOS DPO, I’M NOT SORRY TO SAY, YOU’VE FAILED AS A LEADER.”
However, a review of the original screenshot of the post obtained by The ICIR indicates that the police misrepresented the content of the post in their statement.
The ICIR reports that in the original post, Isiak tagged one Abdulmudallib Abubakar, whom she identified as the husband of the neighbour accused of orchestrating her mother’s initial arrest. She maintained that although the post referenced the Police and the DPO, it was made in the context of ongoing disagreement between her mother and Abubakar’s wife as well as what she described as the poor handling of the matter by the police in Maraban Jos, Kaduna.
In the original post sighted by the ICIR, Isiak wrote: “I don’t know settling conflict between people of Maraban Jos now has to do with who has some so-called money and who doesn’t. The police force is so fucked up that’s why they don’t end well. I’m going to tag you to this post, so you know I’m talking about your wife, not so sorry to say, you married wrong. Maraban Jos DPO, I’m not sorry to say you’ve failed as a leader. Anyways, thank God for Education,” she wrote.
The ICIR reported that the post had triggered the arrest of her parents. The journalist was then forced to delete the Facebook post, apologise to the DPO, Usman Adamu, before her parents were released.
Isiak was then detained and taken to a sharia court the following day, where she was sentenced to four years in prison or a fine of N1.75 million without legal representation.
The ICIR had earlier contacted the Kaduna Police PRO, Hassan, via phone and text messages to verify the details, but he ignored them.
In his latest statement, Hassan failed to provide details on the circumstances of the alleged detention, including why her parents were taken into custody, the legal basis for their detention and the conditions attached to their release. He also did not specifically address allegations that deleting the Facebook post was made a condition for her parents’ release.
Instead, he described media publication of reports alleging arbitrary arrest, detention and hasty sentencing as concerning, arguing that the incident should not be portrayed solely as an attempt to silence the media without a comprehensive assessment of the facts.
“The Command, however, expresses concern over publications that condemn the Police without adequate verification of the facts or efforts to obtain the Command’s position. Such reporting risks presenting an incomplete or misleading account of events and may unfairly damage the reputation of the Police and the individuals involved,” he said.
Amnesty International had since condemned the arrest, detention and sentencing of Isiak, describing the proceedings as vindictive and a travesty of justice.
The organisation, in a statement on Wednesday, urged the Nigeria Police Force to launch a full and independent investigation into the conduct of the officers involved in the alleged detention of Isiak and her parents.
Amnesty International further called on Nigerian authorities to stop using defamation charges and the courts to harass journalists and restrict press freedom.
As of Wednesday, the journalist told reporters that the judge had revoked his judgment and she has been released on bail, while the case is scheduled for November 3.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.