Lecturer Held Over Alleging Katsina Govt Funded Bandits’ Hajj Pilgrimage

A Katsina Chief Magistrate’s Court has ordered the detention of Dr. Bashir Kurfi, a public affairs commentator and ABU Zaria lecturer, after he accused the state government of sponsoring bandit leaders’ trip to Mecca. He faces two counts of defamation and injurious falsehood under Sections 308 and 309(1) of the Katsina Penal Code. The charges relate to comments made during a Trust TV interview on June 24, 2026, which the prosecution deems false and malicious. Despite his lawyer’s bail application, Magistrate Zaharaddeen Kofar Soro granted the police request to remand Dr. Kurfi pending further investigation. The case was adjourned to July 14, 2026, and he was returned to SCID custody. Days after the allegation, the Minister of Interior said the DSS arrested some bandit leaders returning from Hajj at Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Airport in Katsina.

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