Nigerian Tailor And 8-Month-Old Baby Detained Since March #FreePalestine Protest, Critically Ill, Denied Court Access, Husband Says
A Nigerian man, Misbau, has cried out for justice after his wife and their eight-month-old baby were kept in Suleja Prison, Niger State, for the past five months without trial, following their arrest during a “Free Palestine” protest in March.
In an exclusive interview with SaharaReporters on Wednesday morning, Misbau narrated how his wife, a tailor, was unjustly arrested alongside their then three-month-old baby while attempting to deliver clothes to a customer.
According to him, both mother and child have since fallen critically ill inside prison custody without access to proper medical treatment.
He said: “My wife and our 8-month-old daughter have been in Suleja Prison for exactly five months, since March 28, 2025. Until now, the case has not been presented in court. There has been no judgment, no trial, despite the fact that she committed no offence.
“The Nigerian police only obtained a remand order and took them to prison. Now both my wife and our daughter are seriously ill and have no access to proper medical treatment.”
Recalling the day of the arrest, Misbau explained that his wife was simply carrying out her tailoring business when she was caught up in a violent crackdown by Nigerian security forces.
“My wife is a tailor. On that fateful day, she went to deliver clothes she had sewn for a customer. The customer, who happened to be a Shiite member, told her to bring the clothes to the protest ground where they had gathered,” he said.
“When she arrived, the police and military suddenly started firing gunshots, arresting and even killing people they saw wearing hijabs.”
He added that his wife, who was carrying their baby on her back, had no chance of escaping when soldiers and police began making arrests.
“My wife was arrested while trying to deliver the clothes to her customer during the ‘Free Palestine’ protest, which took place during the fasting period,” Misbau explained.
“The customer had asked her to wait until the protest ended so she could deliver the clothes and get paid. It was at that moment that security agents—both police and soldiers—opened fire. My wife, carrying our 3-month-old baby on her back, could not run.”
The distraught husband said that since their detention in March, Nigerian authorities had refused to provide any explanation for keeping his family in prison without trial.
“Since they were taken to prison, the Nigerian authorities have said nothing. They have simply kept her and our daughter in Suleja Prison, and now they are both very sick,” he told SaharaReporters.
He lamented that his attempts to secure legal assistance had been unsuccessful. Even after hiring a lawyer, the family was unable to secure her release.
“I have tried everything possible to get a lawyer. When I finally got one, we still could not secure her release. I am calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all well-meaning Nigerians to help me get my wife and our daughter out of prison,” he said.
“All I want is justice. My wife and our 8-month-old daughter are still in Suleja Prison despite committing no crime. I am traumatized as a father and husband, watching my family suffer this injustice,” he added.
