NEWS

Public Outcry Trails Arrest of Barr. Dauda Yahaya Kana in Keffi by Kano Police Operatives 



Legal Community, Civil Society Demand Immediate Release Amidst Allegations of Intimidation


A wave of outrage and condemnation has followed the arrest of Barrister Dauda Yahaya Kana, a legal practitioner in Keffi, Nasarawa State, by operatives of the Nigerian Police Force from Dala Division in Kano State. The arrest, reportedly carried out at the behest of Hon. Mohammed Lawali, is linked to an ongoing land dispute—a matter already before a Nasarawa State court and under investigation by the Keffi Police Command.

Observers are baffled by the extrajudicial nature of the arrest, especially considering that the land in question is situated in Angwan Kare, Keffi, and all legal proceedings and investigations are ongoing within Keffi jurisdiction.

“I don’t know if jurisdiction actually means anything in the Nigerian Police lingo,” one commentator remarked online. “But someone needs to explain why, despite the presence of multiple police units in Nasarawa, officers had to be deployed from as far away as Kano to arrest a lawyer in Keffi.”

The arrest is viewed by many as a clear act of intimidation and misuse of police power, especially since Hon. Lawali has reportedly refused to honour multiple invitations from both the police and courts in Nasarawa State regarding an earlier petition filed by Barr. Kana.

Chronology of the Dispute

The root of the matter traces back to Thursday, 13th February 2025, when an altercation occurred at the disputed property. According to eyewitnesses, Hon. Lawali allegedly stormed the site in the company of unidentified men, confronting Barr. Kana in the presence of DSP Charles of the Keffi Area Command.

Barr. Kana, who is representing a client in the legal dispute over the property, has maintained that the case is actively before a competent court, and that any attempt by the other party to enforce possession outside the legal process is unlawful.

A video recording of the altercation has since gone viral on social media. In the footage, a voice alleged to be Hon. Lawali’s can be heard implying that, "if not for the police presence, Barr. Kana would not have walked away that day.” The video has further fueled public condemnation and suspicion of state-backed harassment.

Public Outcry and Legal Concerns

Legal experts, civil society organizations, and concerned citizens have since called for the immediate and unconditional release of Barr. Kana, warning against the weaponization of police forces across state lines.

“This pattern of cross-state arrests has become a tool for intimidation. If indeed the arrest is related to the Keffi land dispute, the Nigeria Police must justify why an officer was arrested in Keffi over a local case and transferred to Kano,” said a representative of a human rights organization monitoring the case.

They have also demanded that the Nigeria Police Force explain the legal basis for deploying officers from Kano for a case that clearly falls under the jurisdiction of the Nasarawa Police Command and the courts in Keffi.

Call for Transparency and Rule of Law

In what appears to be a growing movement, the hashtag #JusticeForBarrDYKana is gaining momentum across social media platforms, with citizens urging the police to avoid being used as a political tool in civil or legal matters.

The incident has further reopened national debates about police reform, abuse of power, and the need for judicial autonomy.

Until now, the Nigeria Police Force has not issued an official statement regarding the circumstances of Barr. Kana’s arrest or clarified whether due process was followed.

Meanwhile, calls continue to mount for the safe return of Barr. Dauda Yahaya Kana to Keffi, where the case originated and where, according to public opinion, the matter should rightly be resolved through lawful means.

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