The EduBrain Int’l Human Rights Organization (EIHRO) has condemned the reported arrest, detention, prosecution and conviction of radio journalist Farida Isyaku. The case reportedly stems from a civil dispute over a ₦100 balance from a charcoal purchase in Kaduna State.
In a press statement dated October 23, 2026, the group linked the incident to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Usman Adamu, of Mararaban Police Division. According to the statement, the dispute began between Isyaku’s mother and a customer. Police reportedly took the matter further, and the journalist now faces a conviction.
EIHRO did not mince words about the potential implications. “If the reported circumstances are established, this incident raises serious concerns about the abuse of police powers, the criminalisation of civil disputes, the protection of freedom of expression and the fundamental rights of citizens,” the organisation said.
Moreover, the group found the timing of the prosecution particularly troubling. Authorities reportedly prosecuted and convicted Isyaku after she published a report about the alleged detention of her parents. EIHRO argued that a journalist should not face retaliation simply for publicising an alleged rights violation. Any restriction on free expression, the group stressed, must rest on law and constitutional safeguards.
Furthermore, EIHRO warned of wider consequences. It said the matter could set a dangerous precedent if left unaddressed. “Citizens and journalists could be intimidated into silence for speaking out against alleged misconduct by public officers,” the group cautioned, adding that such a trend would erode public confidence in law enforcement and the justice system.
To support its position, EIHRO cited several legal provisions. Section 39(1) of the 1999 Constitution guarantees freedom of expression, while Section 39(2) protects the right to establish and operate media institutions. Meanwhile, Section 22 assigns the media the task of holding government accountable to the people. The group also pointed to Section 32(2) of the Nigeria Police Act, 2020, which it said bars arrest merely over a civil wrong or breach of contract. Police must therefore distinguish genuine criminal allegations from civil disputes, EIHRO said, and must not use the criminal justice system for intimidation, retaliation or private debt recovery.
Consequently, the organisation listed five demands. First, it urged the appropriate judicial authorities to review Isyaku’s conviction urgently and to secure her release where the law warrants. It also asked that authorities promptly review the reported detention of her parents and free anyone unlawfully held. Second, it called on the Inspector-General of Police and the Police Service Commission to open a prompt, impartial and transparent investigation into the officers involved, including DPO Adamu.
Third, EIHRO demanded accountability. Officers found, after a fair investigation, to have abused their powers or violated rights should face disciplinary and, where warranted, criminal proceedings. Fourth, it asked that Isyaku and any affected relatives receive appropriate compensation and remedies, along with a public apology if the findings justify one. Finally, the group urged the Nigeria Police Force and other public institutions to protect citizens and journalists from intimidation for raising concerns about alleged misconduct.
Throughout the statement, EIHRO anchored its argument in the rule of law. “It is fundamentally inconsistent with the rule of law to employ criminal proceedings as a means of settling disputes that are purely civil in nature,” the group said. It added that officials must not automatically treat the publication of information about alleged official misconduct as a crime without a lawful basis.
Barr. Collins Edu Abiodun, President and Director General of EIHRO, signed the statement. The organisation closed with a firm message to the authorities. “No individual should be above the law, and no citizen should be deprived of liberty except in accordance with the law,” it declared. It also urged the relevant authorities to act with urgency, impartiality and institutional responsibility. “Justice delayed is justice denied,” the group concluded.
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