Amnesty Slams ‘Commando-Style’ Arrest of Kano Ex-Anti-Graft Czar, Demands His Release
By Ahmad Tijjani Abdul
KANO – Amnesty International on Friday night, condemned the Nigeria Police Force for what it described as a “reckless, militarised abduction” of former Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission chairman, Muhuyi Magaji Rimigado.
The global rights body in a news release demanded his immediate and unconditional release, warning that Nigeria is “sliding into dangerous authoritarian habits.”
The organisation in strongly worded statement on Friday, recounted how heavily armed operatives descended on Rimigado’s law office in Kano, executing an arrest that witnesses likened to a battlefield operation rather than a lawful procedure.
According to Amnesty, the officers reportedly acting on direct orders from the Inspector-General of Police arrived in a truck bristling with weapons and threatened to open fire on anyone who attempted to intervene.
“This was not an arrest; it was an act of intimidation carried out with chilling bravado,” Amnesty declared, insisting the operation showcased “the police’s alarming disregard for due process and democratic norms.”
The group noted that Rimigado has been the target of repeated harassment since he unearthed allegations of widespread corruption under former governor Abdullahi Ganduje.
“In January, he was similarly detained by a special monitoring team from the IGP’s office. The pattern is unmistakable this is punishment for his anti-corruption work,” the statement added.
Amnesty International described the latest arrest as part of a disturbing trend in which security agencies appear weaponised for political ends.
“The Nigeria Police must not serve as a private enforcement arm for political actors. Arbitrary arrests and threats of violence have no place in a constitutional democracy.”
The rights watchdog warned that such displays of impunity erode public trust and tarnish Nigeria’s global standing. “Punishing an anti-graft advocate sends a bleak message about the state’s commitment to transparency and justice,” the group said.
Amnesty in its statement therefore issued a stark demand: “Muhuyi Magaji must be released immediately and unconditionally.
The global rights body stressed that continuing to persecute him for exposing corruption is a stain on Nigeria’s image and a betrayal of the rule of law.”