Amnesty International has condemned the detention of public affairs analyst, Dr. Bashir Kurfi, by the Katsina State Police Command, describing it as an arbitrary action aimed at silencing criticism of the state government’s handling of insecurity.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the global human rights organisation alleged that Dr. Kurfi was detained after honouring a police invitation on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, to answer questions on an unrelated matter, only to be informed that he would be held over a petition arising from comments he made during an interview on Trust Television concerning banditry in Katsina State.
Amnesty International claimed there were attempts to keep the analyst in prolonged detention through what it described as the manipulation of the police and the judiciary.
According to the organisation, plans to prosecute Dr. Kurfi on what it termed “fabricated charges” would amount to an assault on freedom of expression and the rule of law.
The rights group alleged that the Katsina State Government was seeking to punish the analyst for publicly questioning its response to the persistent banditry that has plagued the state, rather than investigating the concerns he raised.
It described the detention as an act of repression intended to discourage public scrutiny of government policies on insecurity.
“This brazen attempt to silence Dr. Bashir Kurfi is aimed at intimidating people to prevent public scrutiny of the government’s handling of the rampant banditry that has claimed hundreds of lives and forced thousands of residents to flee their communities across Katsina State,” the organisation stated.
Amnesty International insisted that criticism of government policies and public accountability are protected rights in a democratic society, arguing that Dr. Kurfi had committed no offence by expressing his views on the state’s security challenges.
The organisation further accused the authorities of failing to adequately address recurring attacks by armed bandits while allegedly targeting individuals who demand greater protection for affected communities.
It also recalled that since 2020 it has documented cases in which farmers, human rights defenders and activists were allegedly subjected to intimidation, arbitrary arrest and torture after speaking out against bandit attacks or calling on the government to improve security.
Amnesty International called for the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Kurfi and urged the authorities to uphold the constitutional rights to freedom of expression, fair hearing and due process.
As of the time of filing this report, the Katsina State Government and the Katsina State Police Command had not publicly responded to Amnesty International’s allegations.
