CITAD Condemns Arrest of Journalist Ahmed Isa Sakpe, Demands Immediate Release

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has strongly condemned the arrest and detention of human rights journalist and investigative reporter Ahmed Isa Sakpe by the Niger State Police Command over alleged cyberbullying and related offences reportedly connected to his professional work.

In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Yunusa Zakari Ya’u, CITAD described the development as deeply troubling and reflective of a growing pattern in which cybercrime laws are allegedly being used to target journalists, activists, and citizens for expressing dissenting views or conducting investigative reporting.

The organisation stressed that freedom of expression and press freedom are guaranteed under Section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as well as under regional and international human rights frameworks to which Nigeria is a signatory. According to CITAD, the deployment of security agencies to intimidate or silence journalists undermines democratic governance and erodes public trust in institutions.

CITAD also expressed concern over reports suggesting that political actors within the Niger State Government may have influenced the arrest. If confirmed, the group said, such interference would amount to a serious abuse of power and a direct threat to democratic accountability.

The organisation further noted what it described as a pattern of arrests and legal threats against critics and media practitioners in Niger State in recent times. It emphasized that democracy requires tolerance of criticism, openness to scrutiny, and respect for the media’s watchdog role. Criminalising dissent, CITAD warned, sets a dangerous precedent and risks normalising repression.

CITAD therefore called for the immediate and unconditional release of Ahmed Isa Sakpe, an independent review of the circumstances surrounding his arrest, and an end to the use of cybercrime and defamation laws to silence journalists and critics. The group also urged stronger safeguards to protect press freedom and civic space in Niger State and across Nigeria.

The organisation appealed to Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently engage relevant authorities and ensure that law enforcement institutions are not used to suppress journalists, activists, and citizens exercising their constitutional rights.
“Democracy thrives on accountability.

Journalists and human rights defenders must not be punished for speaking truth to power,” the statement read.

CITAD reaffirmed its commitment to defending digital rights, civic freedoms, and the protection of journalists across Nigeria.