Police operatives, on Friday, November 27, 2020, arrested and detained Katsina-born corruption critic and Kaduna based multi-million naira businessman, Alhaji Mahdi Shehu.
Shehu was allegedly arrested in Abuja and detained at the Federal Bureau for criminal investigation at Area 10 in Garki District. The police, however, are yet to give a concrete reason for his arrest as at the time of filing this report.
Alhaji Shehu has been known for consistently criticizing corrupt government officials. He is also fond of criticizing Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State, over alleged monumental corruption and fraud under his watch.
Shehu’s arrest was confirmed in a statement made available to the Kaduna State Chapter of the Nigeria Union of journalists (NUJ) by Murtala Abubakar, one of his associates.
According to excerpts of the letter shared by Katsina Post, Abubakar said the development is an attempt to intimidate Mahdi from further exposing official corruption in Nigeria, particularly in Katsina state.
The statement partly reads:
“Whistleblower Alhaji Mahdi Shehu was arrested Friday 27th Nov. in Abuja for an undisclosed reason and has been in police detention at Federal bureau for criminal investigation Area 10 Garki Abuja.
“Murtala Abubakar one of his associates confirmed the arrest as he ‘described it as another form of intimidation effort designed to silence Mahdi from further exposing official corrupt tendencies in Nigeria, particularly in Katsina State wherein recent time, he released a lot of hard evidence of Acts of corruption perpetrated by Official of Katsina state government.
“Instead of the police authority to investigate and invite people that are linked to those cases of corruption, the police now turn against the whistleblower for standing against corruption. This unfortunate development could discourage other citizens from coming forward to expose corrupt practices, the consequence of which could negate hugely on the present government anti-corruption war.
“Mahdi’s arrest was carried in Abuja at a venue of a seminar where he earlier made a paper presentation as resource person.”
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