Court Remands ABU Lecturer Over Claims Against Katsina Government

(Katsina State Police Command. Photo by Leadership News)

A chief magistrates' court in Katsina on Wednesday ordered the remand of a university lecturer, Bashir Kurfi, in police custody over allegations of defamation and injurious falsehood directed at the state government.

The charge stems from claims made by Mr Kurfi alleging that the Katsina State Government sponsored some b@ndit leaders to participate in the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage.

Mr Kurfi, who lectures at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, denied the charges when they were read out to him before Chief Magistrate Zaharaddeen Soro.

Court documents, specifically the First Information Report, indicate that the defendant made the disputed remarks during a television interview on an online news platform on 24 June.

Prosecutors contended that the statements falsely implicated the state government in sponsoring b@ndit leaders to travel to Saudi Arabia for the annual Muslim pilgrimage, and argued the comments had the potential to damage the reputation of both the government and the people of Katsina State.

Police brought two counts against the defendant defamation and injurious falsehood under Sections 308 and 309(1) of the Penal Code Law of Katsina State.

Following the plea, the prosecution asked the court to keep the defendant in police custody while investigations continued, warning that granting bail at this stage could compromise the process.

Defence counsel A.D. Umar objected to this request, asking the court instead to grant his client bail on the grounds that he was entitled to his freedom while the case proceeded to trial.

Delivering his ruling, the magistrate instructed police to press on with their investigation and ordered that Mr Kurfi remain in custody until the next court date.

The case was then adjourned to 14 July for further proceedings.

Speaking to reporters afterward, Mr Umar said he was confident his client would ultimately be cleared once the trial concluded.

Mr Kurfi was then taken back to the State Criminal Investigation Department under the Katsina State Police Command.

Petition by state government

The charges followed a formal petition lodged with police by the state's Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasiru Danmusa, which took issue with the remarks Mr Kurfi made during the television interview.

Police confirmed that the lecturer's arrest came as a direct result of this petition.

Force spokesperson Abubakar Sadiq stated that the command moved on the complaint only after carrying out preliminary investigations, which led to the filing of formal charges in court.

Authorities have not released additional details regarding the evidence underpinning the case.

Background

The dispute originated when Mr Kurfi made the allegation during a June television appearance.

The Katsina State Government quickly dismissed the claim as untrue, challenging the analyst to produce evidence backing his assertion.

Public attention grew further days later after the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, revealed that the State Security Service had apprehended several suspected b@ndits and t3rrorist elements as they returned from the 2026 Hajj at the Umaru Musa Yar'Adua International Airport in Katsina.

The minister, however, did not claim that the state government had sponsored these individuals, and security agencies have not officially connected those arrests to the allegations raised by Dr Kurfi.

As at the time this report was filed, the Katsina State Government had not released any new statement in response to Wednesday's arraignment.