Katsina CNG Demands Immediate Release of Detained Analyst Bashir Kurfi

The Katsina State chapter of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has issued a strong call for the prompt and unconditional freedom of Dr. Bashir Kurfi, a prominent public affairs analyst. Dr. Kurfi, who also serves as a lecturer at Ahmadu Bello University, was taken into police custody last Wednesday following allegations of making a defamatory statement. A Chief Magistrates’ Court in Katsina subsequently ordered his remand.

The detention stems from Dr. Kurfi's assertion that the state government financially supported bandit leaders to undertake the Hajj pilgrimage in 2026. In a press release distributed on Friday in Katsina, Abdullahi Kabir, the state coordinator for the CNG, emphasized the coalition’s demand for Dr. Kurfi's immediate release without any conditions.

The coalition condemned the perceived deployment of law enforcement and judicial processes as tools for what it described as political retribution against the analyst. It labeled this action as undemocratic, unconstitutional, and a direct assault on his fundamental right to freedom of expression. The CNG further characterized the state government's alleged strategy to keep Dr. Kurfi in extended detention through “fabricated charges and a manipulated judicial process” as a form of political suppression targeting individuals who expose governmental shortcomings.

According to the CNG, instead of actively addressing the “alarming reality of relentless bandit attacks” plaguing the state, the government appears to be focused on stifling critical voices regarding governance and security matters. The group also urged the Nigeria Police Force to prioritize combating banditry and other violent crimes that continue to afflict the state, rather than engaging in what it termed “political witch-hunts.”

The statement from the CNG explicitly read: “We therefore demand the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Bashir Kurfi, the withdrawal of every politically motivated action against him, and an end to the intimidation of journalists, analysts, activists, and citizens who speak out on issues of public interest. We also call on the Nigeria Police Force to resist being used as a tool for political witch-hunts and instead focus its energies on confronting the criminal elements terrorizing communities across Katsina State and the wider North. History has repeatedly shown that governments which suppress dissent instead of addressing legitimate grievances only accelerate the erosion of public confidence.”

The Coalition of Northern Groups reiterated its unwavering commitment to opposing any attempts to silence truth and to hold accountable those entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding the lives and properties of citizens.