THE CENTRE for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has issued a strong condemnation of the arrest and ongoing detention of a Kano-based journalist, Ibrahim Ishaq Danuwa Rano, by the Nigeria Police Force, Zone One Command in Kano.
In a press statement dated October 19, 2025, and signed by Y. Z. Ya’u, Executive Director, CITAD labelled the arrest as “unjust” and a “dangerous pattern of intolerance,” calling for the journalist’s immediate and unconditional release.
The arrest is connected to an online audio commentary published by Danuwa, the founder of the online channel Danuwa Rano TV.
In the commentary, the journalist allegedly claimed that a certain unnamed government official was collecting money from visitors seeking an audience with the state governor.
While no names were explicitly mentioned in the audio, it is alleged that a complaint filed by the Director-General of Protocol to the Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, prompted the police action.
CITAD characterized the arrest as a “disturbing attempt to stifle press freedom, discourage investigative reporting, and shrink the civic space in a democratic society.”
CITAD also emphasized that freedom of expression and media independence are fundamental rights enshrined in Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
“The Nigeria Police, as a law enforcement institution, should be a protector of rights, not an instrument of oppression,” the statement read. “The arrest of a journalist for performing his constitutional duty of informing the public is a gross abuse of power and a violation of democratic norms.”
The organization expressed deep concern over what it described as a recurring tactic of intimidation and harassment used against journalists in Kano State and across Nigeria, particularly for reports critical of government officials.
CITAD called on the Nigeria Police Force and the Kano State Government to not only release Danuwa but also to cease further acts of intimidation against members of the press.
It urged the government to demonstrate a “genuine commitment to protecting media freedom” by upholding the rights of citizens to free expression.
The statement also rallied civil society organizations, media associations, and human rights defenders to unite in condemning the incident, which it framed as part of a “growing pattern of press suppression.”
It warned that “a society that silences its journalists is one that denies its citizens access to truth and accountability.”
Reaffirming its own commitment, CITAD pledged to continue defending freedom of expression, digital rights, and the safety of journalists in Nigeria against any form of repression or censorship.
