By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
A serial critics of corrupt leadership and Borno born kanuri activist, Rev. Kallamu Musa Ali Dikwa, has exploded, saying he was allegedly intimidated, harassed and humiliated by police investigative officer (IPO), during his interrogation in Abuja office.
He was invited to appear before the Nigeria police force, Federal criminal Investigation Department (FCID) on Thursday 29th August 2024, over a petition against him by group of lawyers, alleging criminal libel and defamation of character of the Vice President of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima.
The petitioners stated that three weeks ago, himself Rev. Dikwa and one Pastor Abdullahi, held a press conference in Abuja, alleging a N13 billion corruption allegation against Managing Director of North East Development Commission (NEDC), Mohammed Goni Alkali, VP which they also petitioned President Bola Tinubu.
In his reaction statement made available to our correspondent in Kaduna weekend, Rev. Ali Dikwa, Director General: Centre for Justice on Religious and Ethnicity in Nigeria, claimed that his photograph was taken by the IPO, lamenting that the act was strange and suspicious.
According to him, some concerned Lawyers allegedly petitioned IGP over the publications in some national dailies credited to him and the pastor, against Vice-President and Managing Director of Northeast Development Commission, of capable of causing instability.
Rev. Dikwa stated “My experience in hand of the Police IPO at the NPF Federal criminal investigation department FCID, Garki Abuja, I was intimidated, harassed and humiliated.
” When I was writing my statement the IPO tried to direct me to write what my petitioners wants, so that I can implicate myself on their so-call petition against me, but I refused to do what he want me to do”
“My phone was seized for more than 4 times my picture snapped, threatened to detain me, while the petitioners making calls to know what I was going through in the hand of that IPO (Mr. Peter). “When was writing the statement the IPO called my petitioners out of the office, updating them on what will happen to me.
“He was telling them that they’re going to detain me until they get my sponsors, and he start asking me to call a level 16 Civil servant officer to come and bail me out. But I told him that I don’t know anybody of that level and he said my lawyer cannot bail me out.
“But when we went to the police DCP office, the DCP asked the IPO who told you that my lawyer cannot bail me? His lawyer can bail him, but that time even my lawyer has already ran away and left me there. But thank God for DCP and the CP who are lovers of Justice, directed the IPO to tell me to write a self bail and I wrote self bail and go out”, he stated.
In the copy of a publication of the petition made available to our reporter, stated that Rev. Dikwa and one Pastor Sani Abdullahi had held press conference in Abuja and also petition Vice President and Managing Director (MD) North-East Development Commission (NEDC), alleging N13 billion corruption against the duo.
The publication (Not us) reads in parts: A legal Practitioner known as Barrister Peter A. Aki has petitioned the IGP over what he described as a malicious libel and criminal defamation against the Vice -President, Kashim Shettima, and Managing Director of the North East Development Commission (NEDC), Goni Mohammed Alkali, which is aimed at igniting political instability in the country.
The petition dated June 4, 2024 which was received by the IGP’s office on the 10th June 2024 and signed by the counsel and representatives of the concerned citizens group that represents the six states in the region.
Recall that three weeks ago, one Reverend Kallamu and Pastor Abdullahi, held a press conference in Abuja, alleging a N13 billion corruption allegation against the Managing Director of North East Development Commission (NEDC), Mohammed Goni Alkali, which they petitioned President Bola Tinubu.
The signatories in the petition to the IGP includes Barrister Peter A. Aki, representatives of North East Citizens from the six states among them are Barrister Atiku Isma’ilam; Gombe State; Alhaji Lawan Abdullahi Bauchi State; Mallam Murtala S. Danejo, Taraba State; Aliyu Mohammed, Yobe State; Engr. Awwal Hayatu Wakili Adamawa State and Abubakar Hussaini, Borno State.
They stated that the alleged libelous publications are capable of leading to break down of law and order.
The petitioners further claimed that the publications on various national dailies were false and with a view to disparage the Vice-President and the managing director of the NEDC in the eyes of right thinking persons, contrary to Nigerian Criminal and Penal Code Laws and a gross violation of their Right to Dignity of Human Person as guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
“We hereby humbly request that you use your good offices to investigate this petition and take necessary actions as conferred on you and your office by law,” the petitioners said.
According to the petition, “Our clients’ attention has been drawn to some recent malicious libelous publications sponsored by one Pastor Dr. Sani Abdullahi and Reverend Kallamu Musa Ali Dikwa as leaders of an incongruous group parading themselves under a pseudonyms as the Coalition of Civil Society Organisation against Corruption in Northerner Nigeria (COCSOCINN).
“As far as our clients have been able to decipher, there is no any registered group or association with this identity neither can they specifically point out as to who and who constitutes members of the group”, it stated.
