Man jailed for Facebook curse

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Nigerian police say a man was jailed after making a Facebook comment that put a curse on a governor in northern Nigeria.

A police spokesman says Moukhtar Ibrahim Aminu was arrested in Jigawa state for defamation after making the comment about Governor Sule Lamido. The comment, posted January 18 on the social networking website in the local Hausa language, said: ''Allah curse Sule Lamido and all his useless friends.''

Lamido's spokesman declined to immediately comment Wednesday.

The arrest comes as Nigeria approaches a crucial April presidential election. While newspapers do publish critical columns on politicians, bribes paid to journalists help control coverage in Africa's most populous nation. Those who don't fall in line often face threats and beatings.

- AP