Rimingado was on Thursday arrested at the Sokoto State Governor’s lodge in Abuja, where he went for screening as a Kano governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party.
The Human & Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has condemned the arrest of the former chairman of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, Muhuyi Rimingado, by policemen in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Rimingado was on Thursday arrested at the Sokoto State Governor’s lodge in Abuja, where he went for screening as a Kano governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party.
HEDA in a statement signed by its Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, and obtained by SaharaReporters on Friday, condemned the action of the Nigeria Police Force.
According to Suraju, it would be ideal if the police act in a civil and professional manner while discharging their professional obligations.
He said Magaji was being framed and persecuted for his selfless works as anti-corruption czar in Kano, which undoubtedly never went down well with some persons in government of the state and beyond.
“We demand the release of Mr. Muhuyi Rimingado Magaji. We believe that he is being persecuted because of his audacious, fearless and transparent service in the state. Nigeria needs a man of this caliber who was out to work on mandate no matter whose ox is gored.
“Every sane person was supposed to encourage the Public office holder who wants to deliver desired results, and not to fight against him/her. The country is in a mess today principally because of rapacity of some state actors who were/are bent at milking the country dry.
“But the likes of Magaji wanted to bring every nefarious, rapacious and voracious persons in Kano to book as an anti-corruption czar; however he was removed. We condemn every act of persecution against him without a cause. We also objurgate Police Actions and the pliability of the force in the harassment and persecution of corruption fighters across the country. The force is by law the primary law enforcement agency in the fight against corruption which has not only abdicated that responsibility but colludes with corrupt elements to inflict injuries on those fighting to save the country. We therefore call for civility and Professionalism in the work of Nigerian Police Force,” he maintained.
Recall that in July 2021, the state’s House of Assembly asked Magaji to step aside as the state anti-graft agency boss for a month after he kicked against the posting of an accountant to the agency from the Office of the Accountant-General of the state.
Though he applied for the reversal of his suspension at the National Industrial Court in Abuja, he has not been recalled since.
Meanwhile, before he was suspended, Magaji had complained of interference and intimidation from officials of the state, especially the governor.
It was revealed that he was suspended in July 2021 after opening a probe on financial scandals and inflated contracts allegedly awarded to some companies linked to the governor’s family.