Missing critic of Sokoto Gov found in critical condition at Zamfara hospital

Hamdiyya Sidi Sharif, an 18-year-old activist who was declared missing after criticising Sokoto State Governor Ahmed Aliyu, has been found in Zamfara State.

Sharif’s lawyer, Abba Hikima, posted on her Facebook page on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, disclosing she had been informed that her client had been found at a general hospital in Zamfara.

“We have been informed that Hamdiyya is in the Bakura General Hospital in Zamfara State.

“She is in a critical condition. But there are security personnel with her,” the lawyer wrote.

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Hikima also confirmed that the activist had been kidnapped earlier.

On Tuesday, May 20, 2025, the lawyer announced that the teenager had gone missing, sparking widespread concern among human rights advocates.

The embattled activist rose to prominence in November 2024 after posting a video condemning Governor Aliyu’s handling of insecurity in the state.

In the video, she urged displaced residents to occupy the governor’s office in protest — a bold statement that led to her immediate arrest by the Sokoto Police Command.

Consequently, Sharif was arrested and charged with “use of insulting or abusive language” and “inciting disturbance,” but was later released on bail.

Following her release, she reportedly endured violent reprisals, including an abduction and a physical assault that left her seriously injured.

In February 2025, she was arraigned before a Sokoto magistrate court, with her case adjourned to March 14.

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Her sudden disappearance on Tuesday reignited concerns over the treatment of dissenting voices in Africa’s largest democracy.