A magistrate court in Kano has ordered the remand of Muktar Dahiru, a journalist with Pyramid FM Kano, in a correctional centre following allegations of making a Facebook post deemed “insulting” to Abba Yusuf, the Governor of Kano State.
Dahiru was arrested on Thursday and secretly charged before Magistrate Court 24 at Gyadi Gyadi on charges of criminal conspiracy, defamation of character, and intentional insult.
The presiding magistrate, Ummah Kurawa, ordered Dahiru’s remand pending the hearing of his bail application, scheduled for September 3.
The controversial Facebook post reportedly involved the sharing of an audio interview with an opposition politician who accused Governor Yusuf of corruption.
The politician called for federal anti-corruption agencies to investigate the “Novomed scandal” rather than leaving the matter to the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCCAC).
The scandal in question centers around a multi-billion-naira drug procurement scam, which recently led to the arrest of five individuals by the Kano anti-corruption agency.
Among those arrested was Garba Kwankwaso, a nephew of former Kano Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and the managing director of Novomed Pharmaceuticals.
The accused were charged with violating public procurement laws by allegedly conspiring to award a contract for drug supplies to Novomed.
In addition to the Facebook post, Dahiru is accused of publishing an audio program in which one individual criticized the reinstated Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi, for allegedly living a lavish lifestyle while portraying himself as sympathetic to the poor.
He further shared an audio recording in which Yusuf Fasaha, an opposition politician, accused Rabiu Kwankwaso of fraud.
The case has sparked concerns about press freedom and the treatment of journalists in Nigeria, with many observers awaiting the outcome of Dahiru’s bail hearing next week.
