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 accused of carting away N35 million.
Sanda, however, has vehemently denied the allegations against him, including the accusation that he destroyed Tinubu’s campaign billboards and broke into the Katsina State APC Secretariat to steal N35 million.
“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 he had no involvement in the alleged offences and described the accusations as unfounded.
His legal team has also challenged the allegations, insisting that the serious charges against their client should be supported by credible evidence and properly 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 remanded by a Magistrate Court sitting in Jiwa, Federal Capital Territory, on charges including treasonable felony.
The case has sparked concerns among Sanda’s associates and legal team over the nature of the charges brought against him, particularly the treasonable felony allegation in connection with the alleged destruction of 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 asking the court to extend his remand for another two weeks, citing the need for additional time to conclude their investigation.
In a development that has raised fresh concerns among Sanda’s legal team, the Magistrate, Huzaifa Macchudo, reserved ruling on the bail application.
According to Sanda’s lawyers, the decision to reserve ruling could allow the police to obtain an extension of the remand while their client remains in custody.
One of Sanda’s associates, who spoke on the matter, alleged that the police were being used by politicians to persecute individuals perceived to be opposed to them.
The associate questioned why the 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 rather than repeatedly seeking remand orders from a Magistrate Court.
The lawyer said the continued request for additional time to investigate raised questions about the readiness of the police to prosecute the allegations against Sanda.
The case has particularly attracted attention because of the treasonable felony charge against Sanda in a matter that, according to the allegations, involves 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 contact the appropriate unit.
SaharaReporters subsequently provided the requested details and made repeated calls to the Force PRO, but he did not answer the calls. He also did not respond to a text message sent to him seeking clarification on the matter.
Sanda remains in custody as his legal team battles the police application seeking a further two-week remand and awaits the Magistrate’s ruling on his bail application.