The Peoples Democratic Party has faulted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for arresting popular blogger, Mr. Abubakar Sidiq Usman, otherwise known as Abusidiqu, over a recent report he published against the Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu.
The EFCC had arrested Abusidiqu on Monday “for offences bordering on cyber stalking”, a development which divided Nigerians on the social media with many calling for his release.
The EFCC spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, who confirmed the blogger’s arrest, said he had “already been offered administrative bail and would be released to his elected sureties.”
But the PDP said it was concerned by the development, based on the reasons the anti-graft agency gave for his arrest.
“We are deeply concerned about the arrest and detention of AbuSidiq, a popular blogger by EFCC for more than 30 hours,” the PDP said in a tweet.
It also accused the EFCC of equating journalism with cyber stalking.
The party noted that while Abusidiq had been granted administrative bail, “he is still in custody as a result of the stringent terms thereof.”
The PDP, which said the blogger was arrested in the middle of the night by heavily armed men in the presence of his wife and children, joined calls for his release by ending its tweets with #FreeAbusidiq.
(PUNCH)