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From Agaju Madugba, Katsina
A Katsina Chief Magistrate’s Court has ordered the remand of an Ahmadu Bello University lecturer, Dr. Bashir Kurfi, in police custody over an interview he granted Trust Television on June 24.
The Chief Magistrate, Zaharaddeen Kofar Soro, issued the order on Wednesday following Kurfi’s arraignment by the police.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), the defendant’s interview contravened Sections 308 and 309(1) of the Penal Code.
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In the interview, Kurfi alleged that the Katsina State Government sponsored some terrorists to perform Hajj in Saudi Arabia, among other claims.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge, while the prosecution urged the court to remand him in police custody to enable it to conclude its investigations.
Counsel to the defendant, A.D. Umar, prayed the court to admit his client to bail, but the application was declined. The court subsequently ordered that the defendant remain in police custody until July 14.
Incidentally, a few days after Kurfi’s interview, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced that the Department of State Services (DSS) had arrested some bandits’ leaders returning from Hajj at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport, Katsina.
