Police Arrest IBBU Postgraduate Student Over Alleged Cybercrimes Against Governor Bago
The Niger State Police Command has arrested a 29-year-old postgraduate student of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai (IBBU), Abubakar Isah Mokwa, over alleged cybercrimes linked to online criticism of Governor Umaru Bago.
Mokwa, popularly known on social media as “Sen Isah Mokwa,” was reportedly apprehended at his residence in Lapai around 11:00 p.m. on Thursday following a complaint said to have originated from the governor’s office.
Police spokesperson SP Wasiu Abiodun confirmed the arrest in a statement issued on Friday, stating that Mokwa had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Minna for further investigation. “The suspect remains in custody pending further developments,” Abiodun said.
Sources familiar with the case allege that the state government directed the police to press terrorism and cybercrime charges against Mokwa, accusing him of mocking the governor through the nickname “Governor Amunike,” a satirical reference to former Nigerian footballer Emmanuel Amunike.
The alias, frequently used by online critics, appeared in several of Mokwa’s Facebook posts criticizing Governor Bago’s administration. In a recent post, he highlighted issues such as worsening insecurity in Zones B and C, unpaid pensions, inadequate support for flood victims, and high tuition fees of ₦360,000 per session at the newly established state university. He also accused the government of abandoning key projects, including the IBB Teaching Hospital.
Just hours before his arrest, Mokwa had posted on Facebook, warning that he was being trailed by police officers. “There has been a suspicious move by two Lapai division police officers this evening at my lodge,” he wrote. “If before tomorrow anything happens, Dula knows the policemen who came. Tell the world I only stand for the truth and nothing but the truth.”
His detention has since sparked widespread outrage on social media, with the hashtag #FreeSenIsahMokwa trending across platforms. Activists, human rights groups, and political commentators have condemned the arrest as an assault on free expression and evidence of growing intolerance toward dissent in Niger State.
Mokwa’s brother, Farouk, criticized the police on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “When individuals that choose not to be swayed by the ineptitudes of the government are being picked and bundled like criminals, what hope is left for the future of opposition?”
A family lawyer confirmed that the alleged offences are bailable but expressed concern over Mokwa’s continued detention without formal charges.
As of Saturday, October 25, 2025, neither Governor Umaru Bago nor any state official had commented on the arrest. The police have maintained that investigations are ongoing, while civil society organizations warn that the case highlights a troubling pattern of state actions aimed at silencing critics.
