Amnesty International has strongly criticized the arrest of social media influencer Ghali Isma’il by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) following the circulation of a video discussing President Bola Tinubu’s health.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Amnesty described the arrest as a “blatant abuse of power,” accusing the DSS of failing to conduct a thorough investigation before detaining Isma’il. The rights group warned that such actions reflect a troubling trend of suppressing dissent and silencing young Nigerians who use digital platforms to question authority and express concerns.
“The arrest of Ghali Isma’il without a proper investigation is not only incompetent but also a desperate attempt to stifle freedom of expression,” the organization stated. “Nigerian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release him and end the baseless prosecution based on spurious charges.”
Amnesty International further called on the government to uphold constitutional and international obligations to respect and protect citizens’ rights to free expression, warning that continued crackdowns on dissenting voices pose a serious threat to democratic freedoms in Nigeria.
