Nigeria frees student charged with defaming first lady in tweet

It was not clear whether the student had intended to make a joke or to accuse Aisha Buhari of corruption when he commented on a photo of her. Photograph: Afolabi Sotunde/Reuters

Nigeria has freed a student charged with “criminal defamation” over a tweet he posted about the physical appearance of the country’s first lady.

Aminu Adamu was arrested at his university in northern Jigawa state on 18 November after Aisha Buhari filed a complaint and then remanded into custody until January.