Front Page Comment In Spirit of Ramadan, Release Abdulahi Aliyu

 Taraba Truth and Facts Editorial

It's shocking and troubling that Abdulahi Aliyu has spent nearly 13 Months inside the Jalingo Correctional Center without ever being charged or arraigned in any court for any criminal offence.

Abdulahi Aliyu a citizen of Taraba State has been in Jalingo Correctional Centre since March 2019 and has spent approximately 13 months in prison without ever being charged to any court.

 The 27 year-old Abdulahi Aliyu, a graduate from Adamawa State University, Mubi was a serving Youth Corp member before  he was arrested over an 'offensive' Facebook comment he made about the Governor of his state, Darius Ishaku. He said he made the comment on the 12th of March, 2019 and was arrested on the 21st of March, 2019.

He said he made the comment in a Facebook post by the Special Adviser (SA) on Media to the Deputy Governor Haruna Manu where he congratulated the Deputy Governor in reaction to his post and said if the Governor dies, he will replace him. He said the SA screenshot and saved the comment and reported it to the office of the Deputy Governor. That was the beginning of his ordeal that cost him his service year.

'The offending post was deleted when I had to do an apology to the Governor', he said.

 Abdullah Aliyu's whereabouts remained unknown until April 12, 2020, when he had the opportunity to call an older friend of his from prison and narrated his touching ordeal.

 Several Human right organization like the Rule of Law And Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) are seriously concerned that a citizen could be sent to prison without an order of court or without being found guilty and convicted of any legally established crime after a fair trial by a court of competent jurisdiction.

 Authorities of the Jalingo Correctional Centre and the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Taraba State have explanations to make for this strange happening, the blatant subversion of due process and flagrant abuse of the citizens fundamental rights to fair hearing, personal liberty and human dignity .

 While  RULAAC calls on the National Human Rights Commission to undertake a prompt, exhaustive and effective investigation to unravel this mystery and ensure accountability and redress for the gross violation of the fundamental rights of the victim.  We appeal to Governor Ishaku and his Deputy inspirit of Ramadan and as part of efforts to decongest our Correctional Centre to release Abdulahi Aliyu, he has paid enough for his 'sin'.