Controversy trails arrest, remand of ex-Kano commissioner

A Magistrate’s Court 58 sitting at the Nomansland area of Kano State has remanded a former commissioner for works in the state, Muaz Magaji, in police custody. This was sequel to a complaint filed by Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje against his ex-commissioner turned critic, accusing him of breach of peace, intentional insult and defamation of […]

A Magistrate’s Court 58 sitting at the Nomansland area of Kano State has remanded a former commissioner for works in the state, Muaz Magaji, in police custody.

This was sequel to a complaint filed by Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje against his ex-commissioner turned critic, accusing him of breach of peace, intentional insult and defamation of character.

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Magaji was reportedly arrested in Abuja Thursday night in a gestapo style after featuring as a guest on a political programme of Trust Television and was said to have been flown to Kano in the midnight.

Confirming his arrest earlier, Kano police spokesman, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, said it was as a result of complaints filed against him, as well as the former commissioner’s alleged refusal to honour police invitation.

But later on Friday, it was gathered that Magaji had been taken before the Magistrate’s Court.

In the complaint, Ganduje’s  lawyers told the court that Magaji “posted a picture portraying our client (Ganduje) as an immoral and ungodly man in an extra-marital affair with a strange woman whose face appeared in the said picture.”

The governor’s lawyer, Adekunle Taiye Falola, further stated that the said “picture had been widely circulated by the suspect (Magaji) on several social media platforms in a brazen attempt to assassinate the character, goodwill, good name and image of our client, the first citizen of Kano State, which he built for several decades in civil service and frontline politics in Nigeria.”

But Magaji’s lawyer told the court that his client would not be able to take his plea on the ground that he had suffered temporary hearing loss following the manner he was arrested by the police in Abuja, and urged the court to grant his client bail and allow him to be taken to his hospital for medical check-up.

Ruling, however, the presiding judge, Aminu Gabari, ordered that Magaji be taken to police hospital and remain in custody.

The court thereafter adjourned the matter to January 31.

Daily Trust Saturday reports that Magaji, who has always criticised his former boss, Ganduje and the state government through his Facebook account, had earlier told Daily Trust Saturday that the police invited him concerning a political petition received against him, but it was gathered that his lawyers, who have since filed an enforcement of fundamental human rights suit, appeared on his behalf before the police.

According to court papers seen by Daily Trust Saturday, the suit was filed before a Federal High Court in Abuja on January 21, seeking, among other things, the declaration of the court that his invitation by the police was instigated by the Kano State Government as a political victimisation and should therefore be declared null and void.

Listed as respondents in the suit are the Inspector General of Police, Commissioner of Police (Kano command), CSP Abdul Abdul, ASP Salahudeen Dalhatu and Attorney General of Kano State.

How police arrested Magaji

Although Daily Trust Saturday has not independently verified what transpired after the Trust TV programme, Ahmad Sajoh, who appeared with Magaji on the same programme gave an account: “Immediately we finished he drove off before me. The police blocked him and he dodged. They followed him and forced him to violently crash in front of us. It was nearly fatal. His car was severely damaged. All the airbags burst. A street lamp pole broke and fell on top of the car on impact. I feared the worst. It was a miracle he came out alive. But the policemen did not care about his health.

 “He was arrested and dragged like a criminal. I called a mutual friend and gave him the phone, but they ripped it off him and gave me back. We had a shouting march. Then they allowed me collect his bag and the car key. My interventions may have saved the day. Perhaps they would have even done something worse to him. 

“When I asked where they were taking him to, they said it was Utako police station. I secured his bag and the battery of his car. I wanted to arrange to tow the vehicle when they returned and ordered that it be towed to Utako police station. I followed the tow van and ensured it was securely taken to the police station.

“However, when I went to Utako police station he was not there. By then, Bashir had joined us. We became worried because it was unprofessional for the police to claim they took him somewhere when they did not. The car was brought there on their orders but no record was made of it. We raised hell and forced the police to accompany us to all the police posts within the axis to find him. We felt he was abducted rather than arrested. We felt they had motives other than arrest.

“Finally, we got information about him from the anti-kidnapping unit in Jabi. Through the policemen we spoke to the officers who claimed they came from Kano to effect the arrest. They told us he was safe, but when we enquired to speak to him they declined, though we could hear his voice in the background. He was taken to the airport and flown to Kano around midnight.“

Daily Trust Saturday reports that following the crisis in the Kano chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Magaji identified with the Senator Ibrahim Shekarau group, further pitting him against the governor.