Amnesty International has accused the Sokoto government of influencing the arrest of a social media user, Shafi’u Umar Tureta.

In a statement, the human rights group said the social media critic, who was arrested by heavily armed policemen, posted a viral video of the “lavish and extravagant birthday party of the governor’s wife.”

The group alleged that “Right now, plans are under way to drag Shafi’u Tureta before a court, in an attempt to seek prolonged remand in prison, to allow ample time to fabricate bogus charges against him.

“Sokoto State government must immediately and unconditionally release Shafi’u Umar Tureta. This surge in human rights violations by Sokoto state government is unacceptable and must end now.”

Instead of targeting critical voices, the group urged the government of the state to prioritize addressing poverty, out-of-school children littering the streets of Sokoto and ending rampant insecurity in the state.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state has also issued a statement demanding the immediate release of its member.

Abubakar Baba, spokesman of Governor Ahmed Aliyu, neither answered calls nor responded to a text message sent to seek reaction to the development. (Daily Trust)