Amnesty International has renewed its call for the immediate and unconditional release of Jonah Bonet, popularly known as Pompo, alleging that he has been arbitrarily detained for 21 days by the police’s Operation Fushin Kada unit over his criticism of Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani.
In a statement on Tuesday, the rights organisation described Bonet’s continued detention as unlawful, insisting that he was being punished solely for exercising his constitutional right to freedom of expression.
According to Amnesty International, Bonet was arrested at about 8:15 p.m. on June 23, 2026, when armed operatives reportedly stormed his residence in Abuja.
The organisation alleged that since his arrest, Bonet has been denied access to his family and legal representatives, despite repeated efforts to secure his release and enforce his fundamental rights.
Amnesty further claimed that the circumstances surrounding the arrest were unlawful and had left his family traumatised.
“Jonah has been brazenly denied access to lawyer and family—in utter disregard for the rule of law,” the organisation said.
It argued that every citizen has the right to criticise public officials, regardless of their office or status, warning against what it described as the growing use of law enforcement agencies to suppress dissent.
“The shocking trend of using the police to punish critics is increasingly becoming the hallmark of the government of Kaduna State,” Amnesty International alleged.
The organisation also expressed concern that Bonet had not been formally charged to court, arguing that his continued detention without trial exposed him to the risk of ill-treatment.
Amnesty International maintained that detaining Bonet solely for expressing his views violates his fundamental rights and undermines the rule of law.
It called on the authorities to either release him immediately and unconditionally or promptly charge him before a competent court if there is credible evidence that he has committed a recognisable criminal offence.
As of the time of filing this report, the Kaduna State Government and the Nigeria Police Force had not publicly responded to Amnesty International’s latest allegations.
