Kano Government Faults Police Over Arrest Of Ex-Official Chair Muhuyi Rimin-Gado

The Kano State Government has raised strong objections to the arrest of the former chairman of the State’s Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC), Muhuyi Magaji Rimin Gado, by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), describing the operation as legally questionable and capable of destabilising the state.

In a press statement issued by the State’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Abdulkarim Kabiru Maude, the government said it received “with deep concern reports relating to the arrest and whisking away” of Rimin Gado by “heavily armed” operatives of the Nigeria Police Force.

According to the statement, the former PCACC chairman was arrested at about 5:30 p.m. at his law office along Zaria Road, Kano, “without the presentation of any warrant of arrest or disclosed court process,” before being taken to the police headquarters at Bompai and later flown to Abuja the same evening.

Barrister Maude noted that the manner of the arrest raised “serious constitutional, legal, and security concerns,” citing Sections 35, 36 and 46 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantee personal liberty, fair hearing and access to court for the enforcement of fundamental rights.

“While the Kano State Government does not dispute the powers of the Nigeria Police Force to investigate crimes and enforce the law, it must be clearly stated that law enforcement powers must always be exercised strictly within the confines of due process, constitutional safeguards, and the rule of law,” the statement read.

The Attorney General expressed “deep institutional concern” that such a “sensitive and high-profile operation involving a former head of a major anti-corruption agency of the State was executed without any form of official notification or engagement with the State’s justice system.”

Describing the operation as “militarised,” Barrister Maude warned that its timing and execution had the potential to create fear, tension and political misinterpretation within the state. The statement further alleged that “certain political elements operating from outside the State may be deliberately attempting to exploit federal institutions to destabilize Kano State.”

He also linked the arrest to “several high-profile criminal investigations and ongoing prosecutions involving some politically exposed persons from Kano State,” adding that Rimin Gado is believed to possess “critical, firsthand, and well-documented evidence” relating to those cases.

“The timing and manner of his arrest therefore raise grave fears that the action is calculated to obstruct, destabilize, or compromise the integrity of those sensitive investigations and prosecutions,” the statement said.

The statement also disclosed that there was “a subsisting order of the High Court of Justice restraining the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies from arresting or harassing him,” yet the arrest was allegedly carried out in disregard of that order.

It also claimed that over 40 heavily armed police officers were deployed for the operation, describing the move as “highly shocking and deeply troubling,” especially against the backdrop of prevailing security challenges in the state and the country.

Consequently, the Kano State Government demanded “strict compliance with constitutional provisions, due process, and human rights standards” in all actions concerning Rimin Gado, and called on the police to “immediately and publicly clarify the legal basis of the arrest and the transfer to Abuja.”

It also cautioned against “the misuse of federal security apparatus for political objectives capable of destabilizing Kano State,” while reaffirming the state’s commitment to the rule of law, separation of powers and protection of fundamental rights.

As of the time of filing this report, the Nigeria Police Force had yet to issue an official response on the arrest.