Isiyaku Ahmed
The United Intellectuals for Community Development Initiative (UNICODI) has condemned the arrest and detention of Dr. Bashir Kurfi Babangida, a lecturer at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, and Executive Director of the Network for Justice, describing the action as an attack on freedom of expression.
In a statement issued on Saturday by its National Chairman, Prof. Mohammed Mustapha Abubakar, UNICODI called on the Katsina State Government to immediately release Dr. Kurfi from police custody and engage him in addressing the worsening security challenges facing the state.
Dr. Kurfi was arraigned before a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Katsina on 8 July 2026, on a two-count charge bordering on alleged defamation and injurious falsehood under Sections 308 and 309(1) of the Katsina State Penal Code Law.
The charges followed his public comments on the state government’s handling of banditry.
He pleaded not guilty, while the court ordered his remand in police custody until 14 July 2026, when the case is expected to continue.
UNICODI described the prosecution as a disturbing attempt to silence dissent rather than address the issues raised by the academic.
According to UNICODI, the case has attracted widespread condemnation, with Amnesty International reportedly describing the arrest as arbitrary and an assault on free expression.
The organization noted that Amnesty International alleged the arrest reflected a broader pattern of repression in Katsina State, claiming that since 2020, activists, farmers, and human rights defenders had faced intimidation, arbitrary arrests and torture for criticizing the government’s response to insecurity.
UNICODI maintained that rather than investigating the concerns raised by Dr. Kurfi in the public interest, the authorities had chosen to criminalize criticism.
The group also expressed concern over the security situation in the North-West, citing figures from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) indicating that the region recorded 81,495 complaints as of May 2025, while Katsina ranked among the states with the highest number of killings in February 2025.
Describing Dr. Kurfi as a respected scholar and advocate for peace, UNICODI said he had spent decades promoting justice, accountability and conflict resolution across Northern Nigeria.
It recalled his long-standing record of activism, including efforts in the 1990s to challenge alleged human rights abuses in Katsina, and his work through the Network for Justice in promoting peace in communities affected by insecurity.
UNICODI added that Dr. Kurfi’s academic research on the determinants of violent crimes and their impact on household economic welfare in North-West Nigeria demonstrated his commitment to finding lasting solutions to the region’s security challenges.
It urged the Katsina State Government to embrace dialogue instead of prosecution, insisting that silencing critical voices would not resolve the insecurity confronting the state.
UNICODI further appealed to the government to draw on Dr. Kurfi’s expertise and experience in developing strategies to restore peace and stability, stressing that constructive engagement would serve the public interest better than continued litigation.
