A popular Kano-based social media commentator, Nura Usman, widely known as Kowa Naka, has allegedly been abducted and detained by security operatives, reportedly over his critical Facebook posts targeting the Kaduna State Government.
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Usman’s wife, Amina Ashiru, said the incident took place on April 30 near Bayero University, Kano, where her husband is currently pursuing a postgraduate degree. According to her, men suspected to be members of Operation Fushin Kada, a joint security task force, ambushed them, blindfolded Usman, and forced him into the trunk of a vehicle. She also alleged that she was slapped and threatened when she protested.
In a petition filed by Thunders Law Firm on behalf of Ashiru, the operatives were accused of unlawful arrest, torture, and illegal detention. The firm claimed that Usman’s ordeal was politically motivated and linked to his social media criticism of high-ranking officials in Kaduna State.
The petition further alleged that another social media user and Usman’s friend, Adnan Mukhtar Tudun Wada, was also detained after being lured through a fake DHL delivery call. While in custody, Wada reportedly overheard operatives admitting that Usman’s arrest was ordered by top Kaduna officials.
The law firm is demanding Usman’s immediate and unconditional release, citing gross violations of his fundamental human rights, including the right to personal liberty, freedom of expression, and protection from inhuman treatment.
It also called for an independent investigation into what it described as a “clear abuse of state power” used to suppress dissent and intimidate citizens. The firm warned that failure to address the issue could erode public trust in democratic institutions and embolden security agencies to act with impunity.
The petition concluded with a demand to bring those behind the alleged abuse to justice and to put an end to threats and intimidation against critics like Usman.
