The Coalition for Whistleblowers Protection and Press Freedom (CWPPF) has called on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to provide immediate protection for Katsina-based entrepreneur and whistleblower, Mubarak Bello, who was recently arrested by the state police command.
Mr Bello, who until recently ran a business centre inside the Katsina police headquarters, was arrested on 13 September after a night patrol intercepted his Toyota Corolla.
Police in Katsina State alleged that they found a locally made rifle, live cartridges and a fake police identity card in his possession.
He is currently facing accusations of impersonation, unlawful possession of firearms and holding a forged police ID.
However, CWPPF, a coalition of more than 30 media and civil society organisations, insists Mr Bello’s arrest is linked to his role in exposing a ghost workers’ scheme within the Katsina police command.
According to the coalition, Mr Bello had raised alarms about a payroll racket dating back to 2017, when he alleged that officers attempted to co-opt him and an associate into the scheme.
In 2021, Mr Bello reportedly petitioned several anti-corruption bodies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and the Police Service Commission (PSC), providing documents he claimed revealed widespread fraud.
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