Nigeria Police Detain Journalist Over Comments on Newly Elected Lawmaker

The Nigerian Police force in Katsina State have detained a journalist, Danjuma Katsina, over alleged “injurious comments” on a newly elected member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives from the state, Mansur Mashi.

Premium Times reported that a colleague of the journalist, Zaharadeen Umar, said Mr. Katsina was invited to the state’s Police Command around 8 p.m. on Saturday to explain himself over a complaint filed by the lawmaker.

However, the police detained the journalist after taking his statement.





Mr. Katsina had posted a comment on Facebook in which he analysed the outcome of the Mashi/Dutsi bye-election conducted in May, wondering why Mr. Mashi was allowed to contest the polls despite facing court action on alleged corruption

The journalist was detained overnight despite efforts by the Katsina state branch of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, and officials of the Nigeria Guild of Editors, NGE, to secure his release.

The Katsina Police spokesperson, Gambo Isah, said he was unaware of the journalist’s arrest but promised to find out and get back. However, he neither got back nor picked subsequent follow-up calls put through by this reporter.