A Katsina State resident, Aminu Sanda, popularly known as Nesta, has been detained and charged with treasonable felony after being accused of destroying campaign billboards belonging to President Bola Tinubu.
Sanda was initially invited by the police in Katsina State and subsequently detained over allegations that he pulled down Tinubu’s campaign billboards and broke into the Katsina State Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC), where he was also accused of carting away N35 million.
However, Sanda has vehemently denied the allegations, insisting that he had no involvement in either the alleged destruction of Tinubu’s campaign billboards or the reported break-in at the APC secretariat.
“How can I, being the state chairman of Dikko/Tinubu Vanguard, a political support group for the President, turn around to pull down his billboards? It does not make sense,” Sanda was quoted as saying.
He has maintained that the allegations against him are unfounded and that he had no involvement in the alleged offences.
Sanda’s legal team has also challenged the allegations, insisting that the serious charges against their client must be backed by credible evidence and established through due legal process rather than prolonged detention while the police continue their investigation.
He was later transferred to the Force Headquarters in Abuja and subsequently brought before a Magistrate Court sitting in Jiwa, Federal Capital Territory, where he was remanded on charges including treasonable felony.
The case has generated concerns among Sanda’s associates and legal team, particularly over the nature of the treasonable felony charge in a matter that, according to the allegations, involves the destruction of political campaign billboards.
The police had initially approached the Magistrate Court through a motion ex parte, seeking an order to remand Sanda for two weeks to enable them to investigate the allegations against him.
However, when his lawyers appeared in court on Tuesday to seek his bail, the police simultaneously filed an application seeking to extend his remand for another two weeks.
The police reportedly cited the need for additional time to conclude their investigation.
Magistrate Huzaifa Macchudo subsequently reserved ruling on Sanda’s bail application.
According to Sanda’s lawyers, the decision to reserve ruling has raised concerns that the police could obtain an extension of the remand period while their client remains in custody.
One of Sanda’s associates alleged that the police were being used by politicians to persecute individuals perceived to be opposed to them.
The associate questioned why the alleged destruction of campaign billboards should attract a charge as serious as treasonable felony.
“This is becoming a case of political persecution. How does pulling down campaign billboards translate into treasonable felony?” the associate asked.
A legal practitioner familiar with the matter also questioned the continued detention of Sanda, arguing that the police ought to have concluded their investigation and, if they had sufficient evidence, charged him before a High Court of Justice.
The lawyer said the continued request for additional time to investigate the allegations raised questions about the readiness of the police to prosecute Sanda.
The lawyer further argued that the seriousness of the allegations required the authorities to establish the case with credible evidence rather than repeatedly seeking remand orders from a Magistrate Court.
The treasonable felony charge has particularly attracted attention because of its alleged connection to the destruction of political campaign billboards.
When contacted for comment, the Force Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, said he was not aware of the incident and requested further details to enable him to contact the appropriate unit.
The requested details were subsequently provided to the Force PRO, while repeated calls seeking clarification were made. However, he did not answer the calls and also did not respond to a text message sent to him concerning the matter.
Sanda remains in custody as his legal team challenges the police application seeking a further two-week remand and awaits the Magistrate’s ruling on his bail application.