Security analyst, Bashir Kurfi 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 over allegations he made against the state government during a television interview.

The development followed Kurfi’s appearance at the Katsina State Police Command headquarters on Tuesday after honouring an invitation for questioning.

The arrest was disclosed by a conflict reporter covering the North-West region, Bakatsine, in a post shared on his X handle.

Kurfi had alleged during an interview on Trust TV that the Katsina State Government sponsored some former bandit leaders to perform this year’s Hajj in Saudi Arabia, claiming about N10 million was spent on each pilgrim.

He also questioned the effectiveness of peace agreements with armed groups, alleging that some bandit leaders benefited from government patronage. 

However, he did not provide evidence to support the claims.

According to Kurfi, after responding to questions relating to his civil society activities, police informed him that a petition had been filed against him over the interview.

He said he declined to make any further statement until his lawyers arrived.

Kurfi added that 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.

Earlier, the Katsina State Government denied the allegations, describing them as baseless and without factual basis.

It also challenged Kurfi to provide credible evidence to support his claims and warned that it would take legal action if the allegations were not substantiated.