Charges against a Nigerian student who was arrested for allegedly accusing the first lady of misusing public funds have been dropped.
Aminu Adamu was accused of defamation and spreading “false” information by the authorities, which he denied.
The prosecution withdrew the charge against him in a high court in Abuja on Friday, according to his lawyer, Chijioke Kingsley Agu.
Mr Agu stated that his client had been released on “compassionate grounds” and that they were “in the process of releasing him” on Friday evening.
The 24-year-old undergraduate’s arrest and subsequent charge sparked outrage in Nigeria, with many social media users and rights activists demanding his immediate release.
Amnesty International stated on Thursday that the student was subjected to “torture” and other forms of “ill-treatment” following his arrest, calling it a “deeply repressive act” that “blatantly violates his human rights.”
