The man, identified as Julius Shehu Tagwai, was reportedly arrested on January 9 after honouring an invitation to the Zonkwa Police Station at about 7pm.
Residents of Kafanchan and Zango-Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State have accused the chairman of the council, Mr. Bege Joseph Gaya, of allegedly using the police to arrest and detain a young man over a Facebook post critical of the handling of Christmas welfare packages.
The man, identified as Julius Shehu Tagwai, was reportedly arrested on January 9 after honouring an invitation to the Zonkwa Police Station at about 7pm.
Community sources said Tagwai went to the station voluntarily, unaware that instructions had allegedly already been issued for his arrest.
According to residents, Tagwai had earlier posted on Facebook expressing disappointment over the alleged non-distribution of Christmas packages reportedly provided by the Kaduna State Government for residents of the local government.
They insist the post was peaceful and amounted to nothing more than the exercise of his constitutional right to free expression.
However, upon arriving at the police station, Tagwai was allegedly taken into custody and detained without being informed of any specific offence.
Despite repeated calls and interventions from concerned individuals, he was reportedly kept in detention.
Matters reportedly worsened when Tagwai’s lawyer, accompanied by his younger brother, arrived at the station only to be told that he had already been transferred out.
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) at the Zonkwa Police Station was said to have disclosed that he acted on the instruction of the complainant, identified as the Chairman of Zango-Kataf Local Government Area, Mr. Bege Gaya, who allegedly directed that Tagwai be transferred to the Kaduna State Police Headquarters.
Tagwai was subsequently moved to the police headquarters in Kaduna on January 10.
His legal representative later alleged that after reviewing the police file, there was no formal written complaint or statement disclosing any recognisable criminal offence against his client.
“We were shocked to discover that there was no clear allegation or offence stated against him,” the lawyer said, requesting anonymity. “Yet, he was arrested, detained and transferred without due process.”
It was further alleged that throughout his detention, Tagwai was denied access to his mobile phone, preventing him from contacting his family, friends or legal counsel.
This reportedly left his relatives unaware of his whereabouts for several hours and heightened concerns about his safety.
As of the time of filing this report, Tagwai remains in police custody in connection with an unspecified offence, a situation that has sparked outrage among residents, who describe the incident as an abuse of power and an attempt to intimidate critics.
Community members also raised concerns about a possible pattern of similar arrests, noting that another young man, identified as Ayuba Black, was reportedly arrested days earlier under comparable circumstances.
“This is becoming frightening,” a resident said. “People are now scared to speak up because they fear they could be next.”
Legal and human rights advocates have also pointed out that arresting or detaining a citizen over an opinion, denying access to communication and holding a person without clear charges may violate Sections 34, 35 and 39 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which guarantee dignity of person, personal liberty and freedom of expression.
The incident has drawn growing attention, with residents calling on the Inspector General of Police, the Police Service Commission, the National Human Rights Commission and other human rights bodies to urgently intervene and investigate the matter.
Efforts to reach the Zango-Kataf Local Government chairman and the Kaduna State Police Command for comments were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.