Hamdiyyah Sharif, the 18-year-old teenager who criticised Governor Ahmad Aliyu of Sokoto State over insecurity and displacement in the region, has been declared missing. The disappearance comes six months after she was arrested, prosecuted, flogged, and reportedly assaulted following a TikTok video criticising the state government.
Sharif’s legal counsel, Abba Hikma, raised the alarm on Wednesday via his Facebook page, revealing that she went missing on Tuesday morning.
“Hamdiyya has been missing since 10 a.m. yesterday. She left home to buy foodstuffs in Sokoto and has not been seen since. The Sokoto State Police has already been informed,” Hikma posted.
Sharif first gained attention in November 2024 when she posted a now-deleted TikTok video urging internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Sokoto to occupy the governor’s office in protest over neglect and poor living conditions. The video led to her arrest by the Sokoto State Police on November 13, 2024, on charges of “use of insulting or abusive language” and “inciting disturbance.”
Following public backlash, Sharif issued a public apology and retracted her call for IDPs to occupy government property.
However, after her release, she was abducted by armed men while heading to retrieve her phone from a charging point. She was beaten, thrown from a moving tricycle, and left with serious injuries, according to eyewitness reports.
Her case resurfaced in February 2025 when she was charged before both a Sharia Court and subsequently a Magistrate Court. On April 11, Magistrate Faruk Umar sentenced her to 12 strokes of the cane, a two-year prison term, or a fine of ₦50,000.
When contacted by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) on Wednesday, the Sokoto Police Public Relations Officer, Rufa’i Ahmed, said the police had no official report of her disappearance.
“She has been declared missing by whom?” Ahmed asked. “We do not have that information.”
As of press time, the Sokoto State Government and Governor Ahmad Aliyu have not released any official statement regarding Hamdiyyah Sharif’s whereabouts.
Human rights groups and legal advocates have expressed concern over her safety, with many calling for immediate investigation and transparency from authorities.
