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For expressing worries about insecurity in Sokoto State, an 18-year-old Nigerian lady named Hamdiyya Sidi Shariff was given a penalty of either 12 strokes of cane, two years in prison, or a ₦50,000 fine.

Shariff was arrested in November 2024 after sharing footage online that exposed the increasing insecurity in her neighborhood. This event has garnered a lot of attention on X (previously Twitter).

Shariff detailed in her recordings how bandit attacks devastated rural villages, displacing families and exposing vulnerable women to sexual abuse.

Authorities accused Shariff of inciting unrest and using derogatory language against Governor Ahmed Aliyu in a TikTok video before to his release.

She did not, however, appear to have insulted the governor or incited violence in any of the seven recordings that were shown in court.

According to the transcripts, which were translated from her mother tongue, she had no malicious intent and was only venting her anger over the circumstances in Sokoto.

In a startling development, Shariff was allegedly kidnapped by armed guys as she tried to get her phone back. She apparently suffered severe injuries after being flung from a moving tricycle and beaten. She was then taken into custody and charged in both the Magistrates’ Court and the Sharia Court.

Amnesty international has sharply condemned the threats Shariff and her lawyer, Abba Hikima, endured during the trial, which has garnered considerable international attention to her case.

Amnesty International called the harassment an abuse of power intended to silence opponents and asked Nigerian authorities to address the growing insecurity in Sokoto, where inhabitants are living in danger due to frequent killings, kidnappings, and village destruction.

The group underlined that the government should concentrate on addressing the widespread violence and lawlessness in the area rather than punishing those who speak out.

The police prosecutor brought a flash drive with evidence and translated copies of Shariff’s recordings to a court hearing in February 2025.

Concerns over the fairness of the proceedings were raised, nevertheless, when it was disclosed during cross-examination that Shariff’s statement had been obtained without legal representation present. In spite of this, the court maintained her bail terms while she awaited punishment.

Watch the video below

Any update on Hamdiya Sidi’s case?

She was arrested after lamenting the insecurity and the negligence of the Sokoto State Governor.

While other states are progessing, our northern state governments are arresting anyone who dares to question their incompetence.#FreeHamdiyaSidi pic.twitter.com/tS5KmrhDPO

— Saadatu Madaki (@saadatumadaki) November 9, 2024

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