By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Renowned rights activist Rev. Kallamu Musa Ali Dikwa has raised alarm over receiving three death threat calls urging him to leave Borno State or face imminent harm.
Dikwa, the Director General of the Centre for Justice on Religious and Ethnicity in Nigeria, made the revelation in a statement shared with our correspondent on Wednesday. The activist reported that the calls, made from unidentified numbers, threatened him with death if he did not vacate Maiduguri by nightfall.
Rev. Dikwa, a Kanuri Muslim-Christian convert and outspoken critic of corruption, particularly within the Muslim political leadership, described the threats as targeting his vocal stance on anti-Muslim and anti-jihad issues.
In his statement, Dikwa shared his distress: “Just now I received calls from three people saying if I don’t leave Maiduguri tonight, I’m going to die. They called me an anti-Muslim, anti-jihad, and accused me of criticizing Muslim political leaders.”
Since his recent release from police detention in Abuja, where he had been held for about two weeks over a statement on alleged corruption in the Northeast Development Commission (NEDC), Dikwa revealed that he has been seeking refuge in churches for safety.
“I am currently staying in a church and will sleep in another one tonight,” he stated, emphasizing the gravity of the threats. Dikwa mentioned that he had not been able to record the calls due to using a small phone. He has also been trying to resolve an issue involving his NIN (National Identification Number) being linked to three different MTN phone numbers.
He strongly appealed to both Nigerian citizens and international communities for support to continue his activism in the face of mounting threats. Dikwa remains committed to fighting for the rights of vulnerable Nigerians across Borno, Gombe, Adamawa, and other parts of the country.
Rev. Dikwa is known for his bold stance against inhumane treatment and human rights abuses and has called on authorities to ensure his safety while he continues his advocacy.
