EFCC operatives

Nigeria’s anti graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has confirmed that it arrested a popular Abuja based blogger, Abubakar Sidiq Usman early on Monday morning. The news of the arrest of the blogger who is the publisher of Abusidique.com was broken on the social media on Monday afternoon.

Heavily armed EFCC operatives were said to have stormed the FCT, Kubwa home of the blogger where he was arrested very early in the morning.

There were speculations that the blogger was arrested over a recent post on his blog in which he alleged that some staff of EFCC against the administrative style of Ibrahim Magu, the Chairman of the anti graft agency.

But in a statement confirming the arrest of Usman issued on Monday evening, EFCC simply said the blogger was arrested for ‘cyber stalking.’ No further explanation was given on the offence.

The anti graft agency in a statement issued on his behalf by Wilson Uwujaren said the blogger has already been granted bail and would be released to his elected sureties. The full statement reads:

“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC today arrested Mr. Abubakar Sidiq Usman, a blogger, for offences bordering on cyber stalking.

“The suspect who is the publisher of Abusidiqu.com was picked up at his Kubwa, Abuja home in the early hours of Monday August 8, 2016 by operatives of the EFCC and is currently being questioned over the alleged offence which contravenes sections of the Cyber Crime Act.

“The suspect has already been offered administrative bail and would be released to his elected sureties.