Court Bars Police From Arresting Kano Anti-Corruption Agency Chairman

A Kano State High Court has issued an order preventing the Nigeria Police Force from arresting, summoning, harassing, or detaining Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado, the Chairman of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC).

The order was granted in response to a lawsuit filed by the Attorney General of Kano State, the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, and Rimingado.

The defendants in the case include the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector General of Police, the Assistant Inspector General of Police for Zone 1 Kano, the Kano State Commissioner of Police, ASP Ahmed M. Bello, and Bala Muhammad Inuwa.

Justice Sunusi Ado Ma’aji delivered the ruling on Monday after considering a motion ex parte and a six-paragraph affidavit sworn by Mr. Abubakar Muhammad, a litigation secretary at the law firm of Messrs. A. K. Maude and Co. The affidavit, along with a written address dated January 27, 2025, was submitted by the applicant’s counsel.

The court adjourned the case to February 2, 2025, for a hearing on the motion on notice.

This legal action follows the arrest and detention of Rimingado by police operatives on Friday evening. He was held at the Zone 1 Police Headquarters in Kano, where he underwent hours of interrogation before being granted conditional bail around 11 p.m.

Despite his release, Rimingado was directed to appear at the force headquarters in Abuja on Monday for further questioning. However, the court’s order provides temporary protection against any additional police actions until the next hearing.