Amnesty condemns persecution of lecturer who accused Katsina Govt of sponsoring bandits to Hajj

Amnesty International has condemned what it described as the persecution of public affairs analyst and university lecturer, Dr. Bashir Kurfi, following his detention by the Katsina State Police Command after he accused the Katsina State Government of sponsoring bandits to perform the Hajj pilgrimage.

The rights organisation alleged that Mr Kurfi’s detention was connected to comments he made during a recent interview on Trust Television in which he criticised the state government’s handling of insecurity and raised allegations about its relationship with armed bandits.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Amnesty International said Mr Kurfi honoured a police invitation on Tuesday over what it described as an unrelated matter but was unexpectedly informed that he would be detained over a petition linked to his television interview.

The organisation described the development as an abuse of power and an attempt to punish the lecturer for expressing views on matters of public interest.

According to Amnesty, there are ongoing efforts to keep Kurfi in detention through what it called the manipulation of the police and the local judiciary, with plans to prosecute him on what it described as fabricated charges.

“Right now, a plot is ongoing to keep Dr. Bashir Kurfi in detention indefinitely through manipulation of the police and the local judiciary. The plan to trap him with fabricated charges through a sham trial is an attack on freedom of expression,” the organisation said.

Amnesty argued that rather than addressing the allegations raised by Mr Kurfi, the Katsina State Government had allegedly chosen to suppress dissent.

“It is clear that the Katsina State Government is keenly working to punish him for asking questions regarding its handling of banditry. Instead of investigating the allegations Dr. Kurfi raised in the public interest, the government has resorted to outright repression,” the statement added.

The organisation said the detention sends a chilling message to citizens seeking accountability over the worsening security situation in Katsina State, where repeated bandit attacks have claimed hundreds of lives and displaced thousands of residents.

Amnesty maintained that criticism of government policies and official conduct is protected under the right to freedom of expression and should not attract arrest or prosecution.

“No one should be punished for criticising government or probing official dealings. Dr. Bashir Kurfi did not commit any crime and his arrest shows a clear abuse of power,” it said.

The organisation further alleged that while authorities had failed to adequately tackle the persistent banditry ravaging parts of Katsina State, security agencies had continued to intimidate those demanding greater protection for affected communities.

Amnesty also said it had documented several cases since 2020 in which farmers, human rights defenders and activists were allegedly intimidated, arrested or tortured for speaking out against bandit attacks or calling on government to improve security.

As of the time of filing this report, neither the Katsina State Government nor the Katsina State Police Command had responded to Amnesty International’s allegations.