The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has raised concerns over what it described as a worsening pattern of digital rights violations by state and local government authorities across Nigeria.
Speaking on Friday in Abuja while unveiling a policy brief on the state of digital rights observance at the subnational level, CITAD said citizens were increasingly being arrested, detained or harassed for expressing opinions online, particularly in northern states.
According to the organisation, the abuses reflect growing intolerance to criticism and the misuse of law enforcement agencies to silence dissent at the grassroots.
CITAD’s Digital Rights Lead, Ali Sabo, said the policy brief documents multiple cases handled by the organisation in the last six months alone, spanning Kano, Jigawa, Niger, Katsina and Kwara states.
Among the cases cited was the arrest of Abiyo Roni, a resident of Roni Local Government Area in Jigawa State, who was detained in November for criticising his local council chairman over a youth empowerment programme on social media. In Kwara State, a blogger, Ajala Adeshina Shuaib, was arrested and detained after allegedly defaming a senator online.
In Kano State, CITAD reported similar incidents involving Murtala Garba Doka, Shamsu Safiyanu Lambu and Zakariyya Kabeer Gwagwarwa, a serving member of the National Youth Service Corps who was arrested on the order of a political office holder.
“These are not isolated incidents,” Mr Sabo said. “They point to a disturbing culture of intolerance, abuse of power and the weaponisation of law enforcement to suppress free expression, especially at the state and local government levels.”
The organisation also highlighted digital rights violations involving private individuals, often driven by ignorance about privacy and consent. It cited a case in which a minor’s video was recorded without consent at a family event and circulated widely on social media, leading to ridicule, emotional trauma and withdrawal from school.
In another case, a woman in Kano discovered that her image had been used without consent in advertising materials by a textile merchant.
CITAD said women and girls were particularly vulnerable to online harassment, privacy violations and the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, noting that several young women had lost their lives in recent years following interactions initiated on social media.
The organisation blamed the persistence of such abuses on low digital rights awareness, weak institutional redress mechanisms and limited capacity among judges, lawyers and law enforcement officers to handle digital rights cases.
It also criticised the concentration of training and capacity-building initiatives in Abuja and Lagos, leaving state and local actors poorly equipped to address emerging digital rights challenges.
CITAD called on state governments to take responsibility for protecting digital rights, arguing that while ICTs are not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution, digital technologies now underpin governance, education, health, commerce and civic participation—areas within the concurrent responsibilities of states.
The organisation urged state governments to domesticate existing federal digital rights and data protection laws, develop state-level digital rights frameworks and harmonise outdated laws with global standards.
It also called on law enforcement agencies to stop arresting citizens for online expression, respect the Nigeria Data Protection Act and invest in training officers on digital rights standards.
CITAD further urged civil society organisations and the media to expand digital rights advocacy beyond Abuja and Lagos, increase public awareness and continue monitoring and reporting abuses.
“Digital rights are not optional privileges,” Mr Sabo said. “They are fundamental human rights that underpin democracy, accountability, innovation and development.”
The organisation said it would continue to document abuses, support victims and engage policymakers to promote a safe, inclusive and rights-respecting digital environment across Nigeria.
