Lawyer raises alarm over alleged secret detention of female NYSC member in Abuja

A human rights lawyer, Barrister Ikechukwu Obasi, has called on the Nigeria Police Force to immediately disclose the whereabouts of a female member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Ms. Rashida Mohammed, who was reportedly arrested in Abuja over alleged defamation.

Obasi alleged that the corps member is being held at an undisclosed location following her arrest, which he described as unlawful and troubling.

According to the lawyer, Mohammed, who is currently serving in the Federal Capital Territory, was arrested after a petition was filed by one Mohammed Faruk accusing her of defamation of character.

“My attention has been drawn to the arrest and consequent detention of a female corps member, Ms. Rashida Mohammed, at an unknown location by operatives of the Nigerian Police,” Obasi said.

He explained that documents attached to his update showed that Faruk had petitioned the police, who subsequently obtained a warrant of arrest from a Chief Magistrate Court.

“The said Faruk had petitioned the police who obtained a warrant of arrest from a Chief Magistrate Court as indicated by the annexed documents,” Obasi stated.

However, the lawyer expressed concern that since her arrest, Mohammed has allegedly been held incommunicado. He said repeated efforts to reach her had failed, raising fears that her mobile phone may have been confiscated by the arresting officers.

“Several attempts to reach out to her proved abortive as her phone seems confiscated,” he said.

Obasi described the development as particularly worrisome given Mohammed’s status as a serving corps member under the NYSC scheme, a federal programme designed to promote national unity and integration among Nigerian graduates.

He urged the police authorities to immediately clarify her condition and location and to respect her fundamental rights.

“I am calling on the police to make an official statement about her whereabouts. I am also calling for her immediate unconditional release from detention,” he said.

The lawyer also called on the NYSC, the National Human Rights Commission and other human rights advocates to intervene and ensure that the matter is handled in accordance with the law.