Security analyst and civil society advocate Dr. Bashir Kurfi will remain in police custody until Monday after a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Katsina adjourned proceedings on his bail application following his arraignment on allegations of defaming Governor Dikko Umaru Radda and disseminating false information.
Dr. Kurfi pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge when it was read before the court on Wednesday.
His counsel, Barrister A.D. Umar, told journalists after the hearing that the prosecution urged the court to remand the defendant, arguing that police investigations were still ongoing and that Kurfi had yet to make a statement to investigators.
The defence, however, opposed the request, insisting that Kurfi only declined to be questioned because his lawyers were not present at the time police sought his statement.
“We applied for bail, but the court directed that Dr. Kurfi remain in police custody until Monday, when the application will be heard,” Umar said.
The case stems from remarks made by Kurfi during an interview on Trust TV, where he criticised the Katsina State Government’s handling of insecurity and alleged that some former bandits were sponsored to perform the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage. He also questioned the legality of the state’s engagement with armed groups as part of its security strategy.
The comments triggered widespread public debate and drew a swift response from the Katsina State Government, which dismissed the allegations as false, baseless and unsupported by evidence. The government denied sponsoring any bandit for Hajj or entering into unlawful agreements with criminal elements, maintaining that all security initiatives are carried out within the law and in collaboration with federal security agencies.
Although prosecutors have not publicly identified the television interview as the basis of the charges, the case is widely believed to be connected to the controversial broadcast.
With Kurfi now back in police custody, attention shifts to Monday’s proceedings, when the court is expected to rule on his bail application as police continue their investigation.
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