By Oxford Reporters
Amnesty International has condemned the arrest, detention and four-year prison sentence imposed on 23-year-old journalist Farida Isiak in Kaduna State, describing the development as vindictive and an attempt to silence journalists who expose alleged police abuses.
The international human rights organisation, in a statement on its official Facebook page on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, described the journalist’s trial as a travesty of justice and called for her immediate release.
Isiak, a reporter with Nagarta Radio in Kaduna, was reportedly arrested at about 10:00 p.m. on Monday, October 20, by police officers under the command of the Divisional Police Officer of Mararaban Jos, Usman Adamu.
According to Amnesty International, the incident originated from a disagreement between Isiak’s mother and a neighbour over a ₦100 change during a charcoal sale.
The organisation alleged that police officers initially arrested her mother and subsequently detained her father when he went to secure her release. The detention of her parents was allegedly used to compel the journalist to report to the police station.
Upon her arrival, Isiak was accused of defaming police officers through a Facebook post in which she criticised their alleged unlawful treatment of her parents.
Amnesty International stated that the journalist complied with police demands to delete the post and apologise in the hope of securing her parents’ release. However, she was allegedly kept in custody and taken to a Sharia Court in Kawo, where she was sentenced to four years in prison or ordered to pay a fine of ₦1.75 million for defamation.
The organisation faulted the handling of the case, arguing that the court proceedings failed to address the alleged misconduct by the police that triggered the incident.
It described the arrest and detention of the journalist’s parents as a means of forcing her to surrender herself to the authorities, warning that such actions undermine the rule of law and raise serious concerns about the protection of fundamental rights.
Amnesty International further argued that seeking accountability for alleged police misconduct is a constitutional right, warning against the use of defamation allegations and judicial processes to intimidate journalists and restrict press freedom.
The organisation called on the Kaduna State Police Command and relevant judicial authorities to secure Isiak’s immediate release, drop the charges against her and cancel the fine imposed by the court.
It also urged the Nigeria Police Force to launch a full and independent investigation into the conduct of the officers involved in the alleged unlawful detention of the journalist’s family.
Amnesty International maintained that Nigerian authorities must ensure that the legal system is not used to harass journalists or suppress legitimate criticism, stressing the importance of protecting freedom of expression and the media’s role in holding public institutions accountable.
