Detention: Bashir Kurfi must not be silenced – Amnesty International

Human rights organisation, Amnesty International, has condemned the detention of public affairs analyst, Dr. Bashir Kurfi, describing it as arbitrary and an attack on freedom of expression.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the organisation said Kurfi honoured an invitation by the Katsina State Police Command on Tuesday, July 7, to respond to questions on a separate matter but was unexpectedly informed that he would be detained over a petition arising from his comments during a programme on Trust Television.

The organisation claimed there was an ongoing plot to keep the analyst in detention indefinitely through the manipulation of the police and the judiciary.

“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,” Amnesty International said.

The rights group alleged that the Katsina State Government was seeking to punish Kurfi for raising questions about its response to the security crisis rather than investigating the issues he highlighted.

According to Amnesty International, the move represents an attempt to suppress dissent and discourage public scrutiny of the government’s handling of the banditry crisis, which it said has claimed hundreds of lives and displaced thousands of residents across the state.

The organisation maintained that Kurfi had committed no offence by expressing his views, stressing that criticism of government policies is protected under the right to freedom of expression.

“No one should be punished for criticizing government or probing official dealings. Dr. Bashir Kurfi did not commit any crime and his arrest shows clear abuse of power. It is perfectly within his right to raise questions or criticize any government policy,” the statement added.

Amnesty International further accused the authorities of failing to adequately address the recurring attacks by armed bandits while allegedly targeting citizens who demand greater protection.

The organisation said it has, since 2020, documented cases in which farmers, activists and civil society groups have allegedly faced intimidation, arbitrary arrest and torture for speaking out against bandit attacks or calling on the government to improve security.

The Katsina State Government and the police have yet to respond to Amnesty International’s latest allegations.

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