Police arrest analyst who accused Katsina govt of sponsoring bandit

n n

The Katsina State Police Command has confirmed the arrest and detention of security analyst and public affairs commentator, Usman Kurfi, following a petition filed by the Katsina State Government over allegations he made during a television interview.

n

The State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Sadiq, told The PUNCH in Katsina on Wednesday that the arrest was based on a formal complaint submitted through the office of the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasir Mu’azu.

n

According to the police spokesperson, the petition stemmed from allegations made by Kurfi accusing the Katsina State Government of sponsoring bandits to participate in a pilgrimage, a claim the government had previously denied.

n

“Yes, we arrested him following a formal complaint by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasir Mu’azu, over his allegations that the state government sponsored bandits for pilgrimage,” Sadiq said.

n

He added that the police acted on the complaint received and concluded their preliminary investigation before initiating legal proceedings.

n

“We arrested him yesterday, and today we charged him to court,” the police spokesperson said.

n

Sadiq further explained, “He was detained based on a petition written by the state government through the office of the Commissioner for Internal Security. The petition was based on his TV interview and the accusations he made.”

n

Although the police did not immediately disclose the specific charges filed against the analyst, the command maintained that the matter had been transferred to the court for determination.

n

Efforts to obtain comments from Kurfi, his legal representatives, and the Katsina State Government were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.

n n