Governor Abba Kabiru Yusuf
A Kano-based Journalist, Muktar Dahiru, has been remanded in prison for sharing media contents considered to be critical of Governor Abba Kabiru Yusuf, Emir Muhammadu Sanusi Ii and other government officials.
Dahiru, who works for Radio Nigeria, Pyramid FM Kano, was arrested by the police and remanded in a correctional facility on Thursday for allegedly sharing contents considered offensive by the state government on Facebook.
Some of the contents allegedly shared by him included a broadcast audio interview with an opposition politician accusing the governor of corruption.
The opposition politician urged the governor to allow federal anti-corruption agencies to investigate the Novomed scandal instead of the state anti-corruption agency, PCACC, which he said has been under investigation in a corruption case of its own.
The Novomed Pharmaceutical scandal broke out recently when a China-based satirical skit, Bello Galadanci (Dan Bello) exposed how Musa Kwankwakso, a younger brother of the former governor, Rabiu Kwankwakso and other connived to fraudulently take about N400 million from the local government funds in the state.
Governor Yusuf has claimed he was unaware of the fraudulent contract and asked the state Public Complaint and Anti Corruption Commission (PCACC) to investigate the matter.
Opposition politicians in the state do not appear satisfied that Governor Yusuf was innocent as he claimed, given the fact that Musa Kwankwaso is a brother to Rabiu Kwankwaso, a former governor, political godfather and father-in-law to the governor.
They believe the governor actually allowed the fraud as part of what they called “eat-and-let- eat” which they claim is happening all over the state.
Another Dahiru’s video post was an audio programme in which someone accused Emir Sanusi of dishonesty about his disposition to the plight of the poor.
In another post, Dahiru shared an audio recording of an opposition politician, Yusuf Fasaha, accusing the former governor, Kwankwaso, of fraud.
In the audio. Fasaha said “When we were in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kwankwaso collected N320 million from our group for the interest nomination form, but he later shared the seats with people he liked and refused to conduct a primary election. We requested a refund of our money in several meetings, but Kwankwaso refused to refund it.”
Reports said the Journalist was charged with criminal conspiracy, defamation of character, and intentional insult in a hushed manner before Magistrate Court 24 at Gyadi Gyadi, Court Road.
The prosecution said the alleged offences contravened sections 97,391 and 115 of the Penal Code Law.
The nominal complaint was the political adviser to the governor, Abba-Dala, who alleged that Dahiru, in a Facebook post, called him an illiterate person and that he tarnished his image by stating that he impregnated a woman (out of wedlock).
The Magistrate, Ummah Kurawa, ordered Dahiru remanded in a correctional facility until 3 September for a bail application hearing.
Dahiru’s detention has come under heavy criticism by social critics, human rights activists and politicians who said it reflected a state of intolerance, judicial autocracy and anti-democratic disposition on the part of Governor Yusuf and his administration. – NS
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