#Abusidiq Speaks Up After Regaining Freedom

Abubakar Usman, a pro-government blogger detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over a story he posted on his website, on Wednesday slammed the Buhari administration for allegedly enabling acts that contradicted the spirit of his campaign.

Mr. Usman, an ardent supporter of the ruling All Progressives Congress, vowed to pursue causes that would help engender a Nigeria in which citizens were not punished for exercising their freedom of expression.

“This is a government that I fought for. But occurrences like these are not the experiences that myself and millions of Nigerians have fought for,” Mr. Usman said. “Moving forward, I will be pursuing all legal and constitutionally established avenues to ensure that this does not repeat itself.”

Mr. Usman’s remarks came hours after he was released from detention, where he spent nearly two days.

Mr. Usman was taken from his home by operatives of the EFCC on Monday morning and his arrest and confinement sparked widespread outrage, with people of divergent political affiliations rising in unison to condemn the development.

Sources within his family said he was arrested over a story he ran on his blog on August 2, which EFCC deemed critical of its chairman, Ibrahim Magu.

A statement later issued same day by the agency said Mr. Usman was wanted for cyberstalking, an offence that allegedly breached provisions of Cyber Crime Act.

Wilson Uwujaren, EFCC spokesman, did not list the specific sections that were contravened. He, however, noted that Mr. Usman had been given administrative bail subject to fulfilment of its conditions.

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EFCC Releases Blogger, #Abusidiq

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has released popular blogger, Mr. Abubakar Sidiq Usman, otherwise known as Abusidiq, who it arrested on Monday.

Friends of the blogger, whose controversial arrest attracted criticism, confirmed that he regained his freedom about 30 minutes ago.

Credit:

http://punchng.com/breaking-efcc-releases-blogger-abusidiq/

#FreeAbusidiq: OPAN Berates EFCC For Illegal Arrest Of Blogger

Abubakar Sidiq Usman, publisher of abusidiqu.com is still in custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), despite the announcement made by the anti-graft agency that it has released the blogger.

Wilson Uwujaren, spokesman for EFCC on Monday ? said, “the suspect (Usman) has already been offered administrative bail and would be released to his elected sureties.

The details of the administrative bail, which was read to our correspondent on phone, demanded that the two sureties must be Directors in the civil service.

Family sources informed that Abubakar Sidiq Usman has not been able to meet the bail condition.

The blogger was arrested Monday morning in his home in Kubwa, Abuja for exposing shady dealings involving Ibrahim Magu, EFCC chairman.

The EFCC in a statement, said, Abubakar Sidiq Usman was arrested for cyber stalking; which is the repeated use of electronic communications to harass, or frighten someone, for example by sending threatening e-mails.

However, Nigeria has no law on cyber stalking; consequently, the  Online Publishers Association of Nigeria(OPAN) has condemned the arrest of  Abubakar Sidiq Usman.

The body described his arrest as an attempt to stifle press freedom Nigeria and asked EFCC to release Abubakar Sidiq Usman immediately without conditions or bring him before a competent court.

OPAN pointed out that EFCC`s action was an abuse of its powers and demanded the anticorruption agency to cease and desist from acting as judge, jury and executioner.