A Nigerian blogger who was arrested today by the country’s anti-corruption agency for alleged “cyber stalking’’ is yet to regain his freedom, a newspaper reported on Monday night, saying that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has asked for two directors as sureties.
Mr. Abubakar Sidiq, who publishes Abusidiqu.com, was arrested by anti-graft agents on Monday in the Nigerian capital Abuja for alleged “cyber stalking” and was granted an administrative bail, according to officials.
Bloggers alleged after his arrest that he was picked up because of his anti-corruption reportage and warned that the media might be under threat in Nigeria even though President Muhammadu Buhari has openly said he was for the freedom of the press.
“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC today arrested Mr. Abubakar Sidiq Usman, a blogger, for offences bordering on cyber stalking,” the agency said in an earlier statement.
It said the suspect was “picked up at his Kubwa, Abuja home in the early hours of Monday August 8, 2016 by operatives of the EFCC and is currently being questioned over the alleged offence which contravenes sections of the Cyber Crime Act”.
“The suspect has already been offered administrative bail and would be released to his elected sureties,” said spokesman Wilson Uwujaren.
But online medium, Secret Reporters, said in a statement to TheSimonAtebaNews that the publisher was yet to be released because the EFCC was insisting that he should produce two sureties who are directors in the civil service.
The newspaper had earlier condemned the arrest of Mr. Sidiq, saying that the Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, has “turned himself to an attack dog” and warned that the “war against the media had been launched”.
TheSimonAtebaNews was yet to establish contact with the publisher or his relatives.