Nigeria, Jan. 8 -- Amnesty International has decried the unlawful detention of a man by the Nigerian Police for criticising a government official online.

Amnesty International, via its official X handle, stated that the police arrested Abubakar Salim in Abuja after conducting surveillance in Gusau, capital of Zamfara State, North-west Nigeria. The arrest reportedly occurred before Amnesty's public statement on Wednesday.

The organisation called on the Nigerian government to promptly release Mr Salim. "The Nigerian authorities must release Abubakar Salim immediately and unconditionally. No one should be punished for criticising a government official."

While Mr Salim's exact social media post leading to his detention is unknown at the ti...