Description
The Kano State Police Command has come under heavy criticism after detaining and threatening a journalist, Abdulaziz Aliyu of Waraka TV, over a Facebook post and subsequently attempting to discredit the Association of Kano Online Journalists (ASKOJ) that condemned the harassment.
Aliyu said that he was lured to the police station under false pretences.
“A police officer who identified himself as CSP Sabo called me, claiming I was linked to a stolen phone investigation and needed to report for clarification. But when I got there, it turned out to be about a Facebook publication I made,” he recounted.
Aliyu said he was detained for more than two hours at the Court Road Area Command, Gyadi-Gyadi, on September 9, 2025, and only released on bail around 10pm with instructions to return the following day.
The publication in question was a Hausa historical programme aired on Karama Radio about Sarkin Zazzau Malam Jafaru Ɗan Isiyaku, who ruled Zazzau from 1937 to 1959. The same programme was also shared on Waraka Online TV, where Aliyu works.
Following the incident, ASKOJ condemned the growing harassment of journalists across the country, warning that press freedom was under siege.
In a statement signed by its chairman, Yakubu Salisu, the association said:
“The increasing cases of police invitations and detentions of journalists across the country are deeply worrying and must be condemned. Journalism is a constitutionally recognized profession, yet some individuals intoxicated by power view it as a threat and use state resources to harass, intimidate, arrest, and, in some cases, endanger the lives of journalists.”
“The police deceived our colleague, Abdulaziz Aliyu. It was not about a stolen phone as claimed, but an article that allegedly offended some individuals. While ASKOJ does not condone unprofessional conduct, we insist that journalists’ safety and press freedom must be protected.”
But in a press release dated September 10, 2025, the Kano Police Command denied that Aliyu was detained, insisting instead that he was only “invited” following a written complaint against him.
The statement signed by police spokesperson, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, accused Salisu of misinformation and threatened legal action.
“The Command wishes to clarify that Abdulaziz Aliyu was not detained but rather invited following a written complaint lodged against him. The invitation was part of a routine investigative process… he was released on bail to return today, 10th September 2025, to assist in the ongoing investigations,” the statement read.
The police further attempted to discredit both Aliyu and Salisu, claiming they were not registered members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
“Inquiries conducted with the leadership of the NUJ, Kano State Chapter, revealed that neither Abdulaziz Aliyu nor Yakubu Salisu are registered members of the union. The statement by Salisu is a deliberate attempt to misinform the public and tarnish the reputation of the Police in Kano State. Appropriate action will be taken in accordance with the law,” Kiyawa declared.
Journalists in Kano and rights activists, however, see the police response as a threat and an attempt to intimidate the press into silence.
Details
Location
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Kano, Nigeria
