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From Desmond Mgboh, Kano
Kano State Government has rejected the allegations by Amnesty International, alleging a pattern of arrests, detention and harassment of individuals for criticising Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf by security agencies at the instance of the Governor.
A statement yesterday by the Kano State Commissioner for Information, Abdullahi Waiya described the allegations as misleading, unfounded and a gross misrepresentation of facts.
The statement insisted that the administration was firmly committed to the protection of fundamental human rights, including the right to freedom of expression as guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“At no time has the government directed any security agency to target, harass or intimidate any individual merely for expressing dissenting opinions. “While freedom of expression is a constitutionally guaranteed right, it is, however, not absolute and is as well not infinite. The law equally recognises the rights and dignity of others.
“Issues of libel, slander, defamation, mischief, hate speech, incitement, false accusations and deliberate misinformation fall outside the protective boundaries of free speech.
“No democratic society permits the weaponization of social media to spread malicious falsehoods, character assassination or content capable of breaching public peace under the guise of exercising the right of expression.
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“It is important to emphasise that security agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS), operate within their statutory mandates. Invitations or arrests, where they occur, are based on petitions, complaints or credible allegations of wrongdoing, including offences such as cyberbullying, defamation, incitement or character assassination.
“The Kano State Government does not control or micromanage the administrative or operational decisions of federal security agencies,” the statement said.
On Tuesday morning, Amnesty International had raised the alarm on the repression of critical opinion in Kano State, accusing the government of instigating the arrest of individuals for criticising the Governor.
In a statement posted on its official Facebook page, the human rights group had alleged a disturbing pattern of arrest, detention and harassment of persons simply for criticising or making dissenting commentary about the governor.
The statement claimed that in most of the documented cases, those targeted were either arrested or invited by the Department of State Services (DSS).
“This rising tide of repression is increasingly creating a toxic climate of fear and endangering people’s right to freedom of expression,” the statement held.
