By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Reverend Kallamu Musa Ali Dikwa, a prominent Borno-born Kanuri activist and critic of corrupt leadership, has claimed that he was intimidated, harassed, and humiliated by a police investigative officer (IPO) during his interrogation at the Federal Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Abuja.
Rev. Dikwa, Director General of the Centre for Justice on Religious and Ethnicity in Nigeria, was summoned by the Nigeria Police Force on August 29, 2024, following a petition filed by a group of lawyers. The petition accused him of criminal libel and defamation of the Vice President of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima.
The controversy arose after Rev. Dikwa and Pastor Sani Abdullahi held a press conference in Abuja, alleging a N13 billion corruption scandal involving the Managing Director of the North East Development Commission (NEDC), Mohammed Goni Alkali, and Vice President Shettima. The allegations were also reported to President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement shared with our correspondent over the weekend, Rev. Dikwa recounted his ordeal during the interrogation, describing it as strange and suspicious. He claimed that the IPO attempted to coerce him into implicating himself by writing statements favorable to his accusers. He also alleged that his phone was seized multiple times, his photograph was taken, and he was threatened with detention.
Rev. Dikwa stated, “The IPO tried to direct me to write what my petitioners wanted, to implicate myself, but I refused.” He added that the IPO pressured him to call a high-ranking civil servant to bail him out, but when he explained he did not know anyone at that level, the IPO insisted his lawyer could not secure his release.
However, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) later intervened, overruling the IPO and allowing Rev. Dikwa to secure a self-bail.
The petition against Rev. Dikwa and Pastor Abdullahi, filed by legal practitioner Barrister Peter A. Aki and representatives from the six states of the North-East region, alleges that their actions could lead to political instability. The petitioners further claimed that the publications were false and aimed at discrediting Vice President Shettima and the NEDC Managing Director.
The petitioners requested a thorough investigation by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and appropriate legal action against Rev. Dikwa and Pastor Abdullahi.
