Security Expert, Kurfi Held Over Allegations Katsina State Govt Sponsored Banditry Lords On Pilgrimage To Saudi Arabia

 

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Katsina State Police Command has, reportedly,  arrested and detained Security analyst and Convener of the Katsina Security Community Initiative, KSCI, Bashir Kurfi. He is, allegedly, held on the orders of the Katsina state Government.

Kurfi, who is known for his interest in reporting the activities of insurgents operating in the Northwest Region, was  arrested following his appearance on a television interview where he accused the Katsina State Government of sponsoring hordes of banditry, and terrorist kingpins on pilgrimage to the Holy Land in Saudi Arabia.

The Federal Government, through security operatives had a couple weeks ago Intercepted about seven banditry lords at the Katsina airport, while on their way home from Mecca.

The arrests, as would be expected, triggered widespread indignation and condemnations, with not a few questioning how the well-known banditry kingpins were able to beat all security hurdles to find their ways into the Muslim Holy Land.

Kurfi was said to have been held after honouring an invitation by the Police for interrogation after his television interview.

Bakatsine, another known security expert, and reporter on the North West security challenges, in a post shared on his official site informed that Kurfi, during the said television interview, alleged that the intercepted banditry kingpins were all sponsored by the Katsina State authorities to the Muslim pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia to the tune of N10 million each.

Bashir who allegedly pointed to the Holy Land trip as part of the wider peace deal believed to have been entered into between the insurgents and the Katsina State Government, however, questioned the effectiveness of the approach in resolving the festering insecurity both in the State, and the North West Region in general.

It will be recalled that the Katsina State Government has been facing mounting public criticisms over its decision to negotiate with terrorist elements operatiing in the state.

However, Bashir was said to have during his interview expressed serious concern and reservation over Government peace agreements with armed hoodlums, alleging that  banditry lords, after benefitting immensely from Government patronage have continued to remain in the trenches attacking and killing innocent residents

The Police according to Bakatsine, after quizzing Bashir concerning the content of his television interview, arrested him citing a petition against him as a major reason.