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Hamdiyya Sidi Shareef, a prominent teenage critic of Sokoto State Governor Ahmad Aliyu, who was earlier declared missing, has been found in Bakura, Zamfara State.
Her lawyer, Abba Hikima, confirmed the development in a post written in Hausa on his official Facebook page on Wednesday.
“We have been informed that Hamdiyya is in Bakura General Hospital in Zamfara State,” he wrote. “She is in critical condition but is currently under the watch of security personnel.”
Hikima further confirmed that Hamdiyya had been abducted, stating, “It has been confirmed that she was indeed kidnapped.”
Earlier report about the whereabouts of the 18-year-old activist were unknown after she mysteriously disappeared on Tuesday morning in Sokoto, amid ongoing legal and political harassment allegedly linked to Governor Ahmad Aliyu.
In a previous Facebook post, Hikima had raised an alarm about her disappearance, revealing that Hamdiyya had left home around 10 a.m. to buy foodstuffs but never returned. He also noted that the Sokoto State Police had been notified.
Hamdiyya came into the spotlight in November 2024 when she was arrested, secretly arraigned, and allegedly assaulted by agents of the Sokoto State government following a TikTok video in which she criticized Governor Aliyu’s administration.
She faced charges including “use of insulting or abusive language” and “inciting disturbance.” During her arraignment, she was reportedly denied access to both legal representation and her family which a move rights groups described as a grave violation of her constitutional rights.
Since then, Hamdiyya has been caught in a protracted legal battle with the Sokoto State government, while also facing threats and cyberbullying allegedly from political supporters of the governor.
Recently, rumours circulated on social media claiming she had been sentenced to two years in prison, 12 strokes of the cane, or a fine. However, her lawyer has firmly denied these claims.
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