A very vocal human rights activist based in the northern part of Nigeria
has narrated how he was allegedly victimized by security operatives for
criticizing the President of Nigeria.
A lecturer at the Kaduna State University, Dr. John Danfulani has
detailed his ordeal in the hands of security agents for criticizing the
Buhari-led administration on Facebook.
He was arrested late January because of a Facebook post he made which
was critical of President Muhammadu Buhari and his party, the All
Progressives Congress. He was detained by the police, remanded in
prison, and charged for “incitement” by the Kaduna State Government.
Reports also have it that the school authorities suspended him for allegedly inciting violence among students.
Here’s his story:
On Tuesday, the 2nd of February, 2016 the gate of Kaduna Prison was
opened for me to head to my home. That marked the end of a 6-day ordeal
in the hands of the Police, Court, and Prison that started at 10am of
the 28th of January, 2016.
The 6-day drama and melodrama was engineered by a letter from the
State Command of Nigeria Police(NP) to my employer Kaduna State
University (KASU) requesting them to release me for an interview at
their headquarters. On receiving the NP’s request dated 21st January
2016, an internal memorandun was raised directing me to unfailingly
report to the Police by 10am of the 25th January, 2016. Because I was
out of the country, I couldn’t keep faith with the said date but phoned
the contact on the NP’s letter of invitation and told him my
difficulties of rescheduling my flight within the short time I got the
news of his request. And told him that all things being equal, I would
be available on 28th Janaury 2016 by 10 am. The officer was satisfied
with my explanation and even sympathized with me.
On reaching the State Command on the 28th of January, 2016 as
rescheduled, I was directed to the Surveillance Section of the CID for
“the interview”. After introducing myself to the horde of their busy
experts, I was given a seat; and in a nick of time, a green file was
tabled before me. In the case file were: a Complaint from the office of
the Attorney General of Kaduna State, a Petition to the Governor against
me, and two write-ups purported to be my social media updates uploaded
sometimes in January, 2016.
The IPO asked whether I was the owner of the pen that poured words
they adjudged to be hate speech with the capacity of causing breakdown
of law and order. I vehemently and unequivocally distanced myself from
the write-ups. Their usual niceties of putting denials or acceptance of
allegations in black and white followed. After that, we started
ascending from one Senior Officer to the other, climaxing with the CP.
After few exchanges with the CP, he ordered for immediate
confiscation of my phone and laptop to enable them probe the inflow and
outflow of my mails and social media updates. From the CP’s office we
headed straight to my house to effect his verbal order, and returned to
their headquarters after an hour. On arrival, my legal team went to CP
and asked for bail, but he denied the bail. All reasons under the sun
were marshaled to make him grant me bail, failed into his deaf ears. At
the closing hour, I was dropped at the famous SAR’s cell in Ibrahim
Taiwo Road.
On Friday, 29th January, 2016, I was taken to court around 10am but
the judge left for Friday Prayer and promised to return after performing
his holy duty. While waiting, one of the court’s official informed us
that the Chief Magistrate said he would not come back; that he had gone
to attend a wedding in Zaria. We all returned to the Police headquarters
and initiated a fresh process of administrative bail. The CP denied
that and prevailed on the judge to return and sit on the case. The court
sat after 7pm of 29th January 2016 and denied me bail on request of the
prosecution team. But gave the police three days to complete
investigation and return on Monday, the 1st of February, 2016 for the
further mention of the case. His denial returned me back to my SAR’s
cell in Ibrahim Taiwo Road Kaduna.
On Monday, the 1st of February, 2016 we returned to the Court. NP
once more asked for three weeks to complete their investigation. My
legal team resisted that and raised a motion for my bail. The Chief
Magistrate granted the bail with conditions that were not liberal to
meet up within a few hours. Because I was no longer under the custody of
NP, I was lodged in Kaduna Prison on 1st February 2016 pending when I
meet up with the bail terms. Within 24hrs, my legal team, friends and
fans mobilized men and materials to meet the bail terms.
Without any stretch of imagination, this case is politically
instigated to kill a voice of dissent in Kaduna State. Freedom and
liberty enshrined in our Constitution have come under serious assault by
the government of Nasir Ahmed El-Rufa’i since assuming power on 29th of
May, 2015. We are sure that APC’s government in Kaduna State shall stop
at nothing to seeing that opposition mouth is shut and voice quieted so
as to rule with impunity.
The same El-rufa’i that is harassing, intimidating, and blackmailing
innocent citizens today because they expressed disagreement and
disappointment with government policies and actions enjoyed unlimited
freedom and liberty while in opposition. It is on record that he tweeted
and retweeted post that were not only senseless, belittling and
denigrative but blasphemous to Christian religion and its adherence. He
was never harassed or intimidated by the former holders of power or
believers of the religion he unabashedly mocked. His deliberate and
provocative excesses were tolerated and seen as part of liberties
concomitant in democratic settings. The phenomenon of some person
enjoying their liberties while gagging others cannot stand in Kaduna
State. We know that what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
My unstoppable struggle for an open society, promotion of responsible
and responsive government, transparency in the act of governance, and
respect for voices of dissents shall not peter-out because of crude
power show of cowards who never honored Police invitations without being
accompanied by Governors in recent past. I shall soldier-on and dare
any aspiring dictator that is trying to condense the frontiers of
liberty and freedom in Kaduna State and Nigeria at large. I shall
continue to test their abiding or otherwise faith in basic tenets of
democracy up to their last seconds in the office.
I want to use this opportunity to show my deepest gratitude to my
team of Legal Irokos, International Rights Groups like Amnesty
International, CLO, Senators of Federal Republic of Nigeria, Members of
House of Representatives, patriotic citizens who surrendered their
properties for me to meet up with the bail conditions, and comrades in
the struggle for their overflowed solidarity.
No retreat, no surrender and no turn-tail-run.
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