By Abba Gwale
Amnesty International has called on the Nigerian government to immediately release whistleblower, Mahdi Shehu, who has been exposing alleged corruption by the Katsina State government and the inflation of money paid as ransom to kidnappers in the state.
A viral video on social media shows how Shehu was dragged to court by policemen despite being in poor health condition.
According to rights activist, Aisha Yesufu, who shared the video on Twitter, “Shehu is being dehumanised because of his revelation on the abduction and the ransom paid and the racket ongoing in Katsina State. Governor Masari, what are you afraid of?”
“What is happening to Mahdi Shehu affects us all. It is our monies that are being used to pay ransom and some are using it as an opportunity to inflate the amount and enrich themselves. His allegations should be investigated and not the state clamping on him. #FreeMahadiShehu.” she added.
Reacting to the situation, Amnesty, in a statement on social media, condemned the detention and ill-treatment of the whistleblower.
“Amnesty International condemns the unlawful detention and ill-treatment of whistleblower Mahdi Shehu, who has been exposing alleged corruption by Katsina state government.
“Since his detention on 16th February, Mahdi Shehu has been denied access to family, lawyer and medication despite the poor state of his health. We are calling on authorities to immediately release him and respect his rights.
Mahdi Shehu had been granted bail by federal high court in Abuja since last month but the authorities are still detaining him despite the court order.
He was arraigned last week in Katsina for a number of charges including defamation of character to the Katsina state government and cybercrime activity.
