Aisha said that the post was the work of criminals who may have gained access to her account, and she ordered its removal.

The wife of President Muhammadu Buhari bemoaned how the suspected hackers toiled with her earlier messages in response she wrote on her Facebook page.

Insideojodu has also reported that the CBN had debunked the post while describing it as “fake news,” adding that “CBN Sticks to Presidential Directive to Reissue only 200 Naira Old Banknotes. ”

She said, “It has come to my attention that certain fake news was posted on my social media handle, Instagram which also directly connects to my Facebook page, earlier this morning. I have since directed that it should be deleted.

“This is without a doubt the criminal actions of the person(s) who were responsible for deleting quite a number of my posts since 2018 to late last year when I posted a video and picture of my hands with Henna design of ABAT insignia on the day I launched the APC Women Presidential Campaign Committee for Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Ilorin, Kwara State, my post on the event for the Traditional and Complementary Alternative Medicine (TCAM) conference and 17 other posts.

“This person is a hacker, criminally minded with the intention to continue attacking my reputation through my social media platforms”.

This follows the statement made by the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, that some Aso Rock cabals were working to frustrate the victory of APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, in the forthcoming elections.

She said this Monday morning while featuring on Arise TV Morning Show.

Mohammed said unlike El-Rufai, she was not afraid to mention names.

Let me tell you one of the cabals is Aisha Buhari. Aisha that is talking is part of the cabals. We knew the cabals of the late Abba Kyari. When she started talking of the cabals, she didn’t have the guts to come and name names. For the first time in Nigeria, I started to mention names.

“She (Aisha) reinforced what El-Rufai said. El-Rufai said ‘the cabals in the villa’, she confirmed it. She is also part of the cabals. I am trained not to say the details. We are trained to leave names. You have to have the guts to give names,” she said.

The prosecution counsel, Fidelis Ogbobe, while withdrawing the case on behalf of Mrs Buhari, said the President’s wife, being the mother of the nation, decided to withdraw the case following the intervention of “well-meaning Nigerians”.

Moving a motion for the withdrawal of the case, Ogbobe cited Section 108 (2)(a) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act. Justice Yusuf Halilu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory commended Mrs Buhari for withdrawing the case.

Halilu, while issuing the release warrant, called on parents to always monitor their children to avoid recurrence

The 24-year-old student had alleged in Hausa that the wife of the President was “feeding fat on poor people’s money”. It was reported that he was moved from Bauchi to Abuja on Aisha’s command and locked up.

Muhammad’s uncle, Shebu Azare, had, in an interview published by BBC Hausa, on Monday, said the victim’s father, Mallam Adamu, was not aware of his son’s arrest until five days later when the matter had escalated.

The matter had also generated a lot of reactions, with prominent Nigerians, including the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, and other human rights activists calling for the student’s release.

According to a police report, Muhammed was arrested at Federal University Dutse on November 18, 2022, after the wife of the President instructed a team of police detectives to track him down.

The Presidency had also barred visitors from visiting inmates at the Suleja Correctional Centre, Niger State, following the arrest of Aminu.

One of our correspondents who visited the facility observed a heavy presence of security agents, with an inscription, “No Visitation,” at the entrance.

A security agent told Saturday PUNCH that there was an order from the Presidency barring all forms of visitation following Muhammed’s arrival at the facility.

“We can’t let you into the facility. No one is allowed to see Aminu. In fact, since he was brought in on Tuesday, no one has been allowed to visit inmates within the facility. You can read the note on the wall, no visitation is allowed, and I don’t want to lose my job,” he told one of our correspondents.

The officer, however, noted that the detained student lacked food since he arrived at the facility on Tuesday, adding that he only had N2,000 on him which spent, and could not afford to get food since no one was allowed to visit or call him.

The security agent added, “I feel for the boy; he arrived here with just N2,000, and it is finished. He complained of hunger today (Thursday), but there was nothing we could do since no one had been allowed to visit or call him. He only ate bread this morning.”

Meanwhile, Amnesty International Nigeria condemned the arrest and alleged torture of Muhammed and called for his immediate release.

Its Director of Amnesty International, Nigeria, Osai Ojigho, said, “The Nigerian authorities must urgently release Aminu Muhammed and drop all charges against him. He is a student accused of defaming Aisha Buhari, the first lady of Nigeria, on Twitter.

“It is beyond disgraceful that the Nigerian authorities have arrested and allegedly tortured Aminu Muhammed after he merely tweeted about the first lady of Nigeria. This deeply repressive act brazenly violates his human rights.

“The bogus charges against Aminu must be urgently and unconditionally dropped. The authorities should instead order an investigation into his unlawful detention and abusive treatment. The fact that he was detained incommunicado highlights the rampant impunity enjoyed by the Nigerian authorities.

“Aminu’s final exams are scheduled for December 5, 2022, at the Federal University, Dutse. He must be urgently freed and be able to finish his degree.”

On November 29, 2022, Muhammed was charged with cybercrime, cybersquatting, computer-related forgery, conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.

But Amnesty International noted that though the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) ratified the Anti-Torture Act in 2017, torture and other ill-treatment remained pervasive in Nigeria, with police and state security agents continuing to subject detainees to torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.

Ojigho added, “The heavy-handed mistreatment of Aminu is a clear attempt to strike fear into the hearts of young Nigerians who use social media to hold the powerful to account. The Nigerian authorities must urgently respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression.

“Amnesty International is concerned by the growing number of attacks on freedom of expression in Nigeria. The authorities are increasingly using unlawful arrests and ill-treatment to stifle those who criticise the state. This must stop now.”

ThisDay and Arise TV reported that she said this at the ground-breaking ceremony for the Armed Forces Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Centre (AFPTSDC) initiated by the Mrs Lucky Irabor-led Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA).

Aisha said her husband suffered PTSD for many years after his involvement in Nigeria’s civil war without rehabilitation, his overthrow as military head of state, and subsequent detention for 40 months without being charged with any offence.

The First Lady added that Buhari’s loss of three consecutive elections further complicated the situation she was confronted with at 19, when she married him. She further revealed that she became an unintended physiotherapist who nursed him to recovery.

She said; “I want to thank DEPOWA for this foresighted vision of establishing a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Centre for our soldiers. Indeed, PTSD is a mental health condition triggered by terrifying events.It is a reality that soldiers and military families have to live with, despite its negative consequences. Being a soldier’s wife or a retired soldier’s wife and a wellness expert, I understand the challenges associated with PTSD and its impact on military families and the nation.

“My husband served the Nigerian Army for 27 years before he was overthrown in a coup d’état. He fought civil war for 30 months without rehabilitation; he ruled Nigeria for 20 months and was detained for 40 months without disclosing the nature of his offence.

“One year after he came out from detention, we were married, I clocked 19 years in his house as his wife, legitimately. I suffered the consequences of PTSD, because having gone through all these, and at the age of 19, to handle somebody, who was a former Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of Nigeria’s Armed Forces, to tell him that he is wrong is the first mistake you will make.

“So, at the age of 19, I had to figure out how to tell somebody of his calibre that he was wrong or right and that was the beginning of my offence in his house, and contesting elections in 2003 and failed, 2007, failed and 2011, the same thing – all without rehabilitation – I became a physiotherapist.

“Finally, the whole nation rose against the misuse of power and bad governance. He only succeeded when it became a movement and here we are today. He ruled Nigeria before and he is ruling Nigeria now and this is the last time and final.

“Failing election for three times was a big blow to every contestant but those that have contested for just yesterday, a simple primary election, they are still living in a traumatic condition, I tried to console them, I tried to talk to them, some of them have switched off their phones up till today, just because of a primary election.

“You can imagine myself at 19 years, handling somebody that went to war, suffered coup d’état, then lost several elections, and, finally, getting to the Villa in the 2015. Also, for a woman to tell them that this is wrong or right in Nigeria and Africa is a problem.”

Aisha Buhari also commended members of the armed forces for their contributions to nation. She added;

“In that case, I want to use this opportunity to appreciate members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria for their sacrifices and contributions to nation building.

“The fallen Heroes remain evergreen in our minds and many with us are wounded physically and mentally. I want to appreciate their wives and families; I want to let them know that the whole nation is with them.”

Aisha stated that the PTSD centre was important to members of the armed forces and beyond, stressing that soldiers are the primary victims.

The invitees were instructed not to come along with their mobile devices, except for their invitation cards which would serve as their entry pass.

However, this directive will not apply to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and governors and ministers who are expected to be at the meeting.

In a phone interview with our correspondent, the spokesperson of the First Lady, Aliyu Abdullahi, who confirmed the meeting said, “There is nothing here. This is a standard operational protocol in the Villa when you are having a meeting with either of the three occupants of the Presidency. If they are coming for an event, this is supposed to be DSS enforced when the president is having an event or the Vice President is having an event or the first lady is having an event. Because outsiders will come. That’s the security and standard protocol. That does not apply to the Vice President. How can you expect that to apply to the Vice President or even to ministers?”

This was announced in a terse statement on Tuesday by the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Health and Development Partners in the First Lady’s office, Mohammed Kamal.

Buhari, 79, was in Turkey with Aisha, 50, between December 16 and 19, 2021 when they attended the 3rd Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit.

Photos of the President’s wife released by the Presidency after the trip had sparked pregnancy rumours as she was pictured to have cradled what looked like a bump

But in a statement on Tuesday, Kamal ordered the staff in the First Lady’s office to proceed on indefinite leave and continue work virtually.

The statement, posted on the verified Instagram handle of the President’s wife, read, “This serves to inform all staff that the office of the First lady will be closed for the upcoming festive period of Christmas and New year.To this end, all staff are requested to proceed on leave, until further notice. Please note that official engagements and work can also continue virtually as it was done previously.Her Excellency appreciates and thank all staff for their commitment and hard work and wish all a happy festive period ahead.”

She made the appeal on Wednesday night in Abuja at an event organised by the Independent Newspapers to honour state first ladies who had used their offices to impact positively on the lives of the people, especially the less privileged and vulnerable.

The event was tagged: “Independent Newspapers Nigerian FIrst Ladies Impact Awards.”

Aisha, who was the special guest of honour at the event, was represented by Mr Aliyu Abdullahi, her Special Adviser on Media and Publicity.

She said “I am happy to be at this memorable event, which seeks to recognise the efforts of first ladies in spreading the dividends of democracy. I am particularly happy that some first ladies have been recognised as having excelled in this regard. I want to use this opportunity to call on media practitioners to engage more with first ladies so that their projects can get more visibility. The partnership will be a win-win because the media would then have discharged a part of its social responsibility. It is without a doubt that the media has a pivotal role to play not just setting the agenda for discourse, but also in supporting and amplifying worthy causes. They also provide financial support in terms of scholarships and settlement of medical bills for the underprivileged,”

The First Lady also urged Nigerian girls to embrace football as a career path.

She gave this urge while receiving the President of FIFA, Gianni Infantino at the State House, Abuja on Thursday.

The Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the First Lady, Aliyu Abdullahi, disclosed this in a statement titled, ‘Aisha Buhari charges girls to embrace football’. 

According to her, the benefits of football spreads across the coaches, officials, and administrators on the one side, and to family members and the society on the other. 

She said, “With football, we have an opportunity to influence and increase positive attitude towards gender equality and development. I collaborated with the NFF to promote women football in Nigeria and worldwide through the Aisha Buhari Football Tournament, to build on the gains achieved so far and to create additional opportunities for the girl-child.

“I, therefore, call on FIFA, CAF, and NFF to show more support and encouragement to female players both at local and international levels,” she said.

A search on Twitter for her handle shows it has been deactivated.

See a screenshot below

Tinubu disclosed this on Thursday at the public presentation of Aisha’s biography, “Aisha Buhari: Being different,” written by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Administration and Women Affairs, Dr Hajo Sani.

Tinubu, who was the chairman of the occasion, said, “Given the First Lady’s achievements, no one can reasonably question the role of a First Lady any longer.

“Remember there were those who argued that the constitution does not assign an official role to the First Lady.

“Because of Dr. Mrs. Aisha Buhari, their concerns have been forever laid to rest.

“The First Lady has played an uplifting, unifying role both in symbol and substance.

“She has been a voice of conscience calling us to be our better selves for the good of the nation and for the betterment of the weakest, most vulnerable among us.

“As such, she has been a strong pillar of support not only to the President but also to the Nigerian people whom they both serve with such patriotic commitment and high purpose.”