Amnesty International Nigeria has condemned the arrest of the immediate past Chairman of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, Muhyi Magaji, describing it as arbitrary and unlawful.
The human rights organisation made this known in a statement issued on Friday and shared on its official social media platforms.
According to Amnesty International, Magaji was arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force at his law firm in Kano in what it described as an intimidating and excessive manner.
“Eyewitnesses said that the immediate past chairman of the Kano Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission was arrested at his law firm in Kano,” the statement read.
Amnesty alleged that a truckload of heavily armed policemen carried out the arrest, threatening to shoot anyone who attempted to obstruct them.
“A truckload of heavily armed policemen arrested him while threatening to shoot whoever came their way during the operation,” the organisation said, adding that the action was allegedly carried out on the orders of the Inspector-General of Police.
The group described the arrest as “yet another show of utter impunity and total disregard for the rule of law by the Nigeria Police.”
Amnesty recalled that Magaji was previously arrested and detained in January by a special monitoring team from the office of the Inspector-General of Police following his role in exposing alleged large-scale corruption during the administration of former Kano State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje.
“Muhyi is being repeatedly harassed and intimidated by the police for his anti-corruption work in Kano State,” the statement said.
The organisation stressed that the continued harassment of the former anti-graft boss amounted to abuse of power and intimidation.
“This abuse of power and intimidation must end,” Amnesty said, urging the police to uphold due process and refrain from carrying out arbitrary arrests and detentions.
Amnesty International also demanded Magaji’s immediate and unconditional release, warning that targeting him for his anti-corruption efforts damages Nigeria’s global image.
“Punishing him for his anti-corruption work is a stain on Nigeria’s image,” the group added.
