THE Niger State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of Abubakar Mokwa, a postgraduate student at Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU), Lapai, following a complaint of alleged cybercrime.
Although the police did not disclose who filed the complaint, media reports linked Mokwa’s arrest to his recent critical comments about Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago on social media.
The police spokesperson, Wasiu Abiodun, on Friday, October 24, in a short statement to The ICIR, said Mokwa was arrested by officers from the Lapai Division after a complaint was lodged against him for offences bordering on cyberbullying, cyberstalking, and other cyber-related crimes.
“The Niger State Police Command received a criminal complaint bordering on cyber bullying, cyber stalking and other Cybercrime related offences against one Abubakar Isah Mokwa 29yrs of Mokwa, and a post graduate student of IBBUL.
“Hence, he was invited and arrested by the Lapai Div on 23rd October, 2025 at about 11pm and transferred to the State Police Command Headquarters, Minna,for further investigation in respect of the criminal complaint. However, the suspect is in custody and further development will be made public,” he wrote.
When The ICIR asked further to confirm if the arrest was linked to his comments against Bago, Abiodun failed to respond.
Reports from the university community said Mokwa was picked up from his off-campus lodge in Lapai late Thursday night.
The ICIR gathered that before his arrest, he had posted several critical messages about Bago on Facebook.
In one of his posts, he challenged the governor to uphold his alleged campaign promise of delivering Baro Port.
However, this is not the first time the Bago administration has faced accusations of cracking down on critics and journalists.
In August 2025, the Niger State government ordered the suspension of Badegi 90.1 FM, an independent radio station in Minna, over alleged criticism of the governor.
The ICIR reported that the governor issued the order during an expanded All Progressive Congress (APC) caucus meeting at the Government House in Minna, accusing the station of inciting violence and stirring public unrest.
He instructed security forces to seal off the station, recommended the revocation of its broadcasting licence, and ordered that its owner, Shuaibu Badeggi, be profiled.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M