Court Remands Security Analyst Dr. Kurfi Over Alleged Defamation of Katsina Governor

By Zaharaddeen Ishaq Abubakar | Katsina Times

A Chief Magistrates' Court in Katsina on Wednesday ordered that security analyst Dr Bashir Kurfi be remanded in police custody until Monday after he was arraigned on charges of alleged defamation of the Katsina State governor and dissemination of false information.

Dr Kurfi pleaded not guilty after the two-count charge was read to him in court, according to his lawyer, Barrister AD Umar.

Speaking to Katsina Times after the proceedings, Umar said prosecutors asked the court to remand his client, arguing that police investigations were ongoing and that the defendant had yet to make a statement to investigators.

The defence lawyer rejected that argument, saying Dr Kurfi had declined to make a statement because his legal counsel was not present when investigators sought to question him.

"The defence applied for bail, but the court ordered that he remain in police custody until Monday, when it will consider the bail application," Umar said.

The case follows comments made by Dr Kurfi, a Katsina-based security analyst and Convener of the Katsina Community Security Initiative, during an interview with Trust TV in which he criticised the Katsina State Government's approach to tackling insecurity.

During the interview, Dr Kurfi alleged that the state government had held negotiations with some bandit leaders and claimed that some suspected bandits were sponsored to perform the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. He also questioned the legal basis of the state's peace engagements with armed groups.

The interview generated widespread public debate and attracted strong reactions from government officials.

In a statement issued after the broadcast, the Katsina State Government dismissed the allegations as false, misleading and unsupported by evidence. It denied sponsoring any bandit for the Hajj pilgrimage or entering into unlawful agreements with criminal groups, maintaining that its security policies operate within the law and in collaboration with federal security agencies.

Although prosecutors have not publicly linked the charges to the television interview, the case is widely believed to have arisen from the comments made during the broadcast. The prosecution has yet to present evidence in support of the charges before the court.

The case was adjourned until Monday, when the court is expected to hear Dr Kurfi's bail application while police continue their investigation.