Security Analyst Detained After Alleging Katsina Govt Sponsored Bandits for Hajj

A security analyst and convener of the Katsina Security Community Initiative, Bashir Kurfi, has been detained by the police in Katsina State following claims he made against the state government during a television interview.

Kurfi was invited to the Katsina State Police Command headquarters on Tuesday for questioning. His arrest was later confirmed by conflict reporter Bakatsine in a post on X.

During an appearance on Trust TV, Kurfi alleged that the Katsina State Government sponsored some former bandit leaders to perform this year’s Hajj in Saudi Arabia, claiming about ₦10 million was spent on each pilgrim. He also questioned the credibility of peace deals with armed groups, suggesting that certain bandit leaders had benefited from government patronage.

However, Kurfi did not present evidence to back his claims. He stated that after answering questions about his civil society work, police informed him that a petition had been filed against him over the interview. He refused to make further statements until his lawyers arrived.

Kurfi said he was later taken to court, but proceedings had ended for the day, after which he was returned to police custody. He is expected to be arraigned on Wednesday.

The Katsina State Government has strongly denied the allegations, describing them as baseless and warning that legal action would be taken if Kurfi failed to provide credible evidence.

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