A coalition of civil society groups on Monday described the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai as a “tyrant” and demanded the immediate release of an activist, Stephen Kefas.
The group under the auspices of Citizens for Stephen Kefas, made its position known while addressing a press conference in Abuja.
It was the National Coordinator, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, Emmanuel Onwubiko, who spoke on behalf of the coalition.
Speaking at the secretariat of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Onwubiko said the group came to Abuja because of Mr. El-Rufai’s intolerance.
He said the group came to Abuja to among other things, mark the 139 days of incarceration of Mr. Kefas, expose the hostile atmosphere and abuse of freedom of speech by Mr. El-Rufai.
“Today, we cannot hold this press conference in Kaduna on account of tyranny and suppression of basic freedoms in the state,” Mr. Onwubiko said.
“We will also like to remind members of the press that Kaduna State has attained notoriety for tyrannical attitude and indiscriminate locking up of journalists and social media commentators at the slightest opportunity.
“Arising from the harsh environment reporters are made to practice their profession, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in 2017 declared Kaduna state as the worst place to practice journalism in Nigeria.
“Regrettably, nothing has changed as critics have suffered incarceration; revered traditional rulers have suffered imprisonment over what the state government describes as “inciting” comments,” Mr. Onwubiko said.
Read the full text of the press statement below:
TEXT OF WORLD PRESS CONFERENCE BY CITIZENS FOR STEPHEN KEFAS THAT HELD ON MONDAY OCTOBER 7, 2019 AT NUJ ABUJA COUNCIL MARKING 139 DAYS OF INCARCERATION OF KEFAS IN KADUNA PRISON WITHOUT BAIL
Gentlemen of the Press, on behalf of the Citizens for Steven Kefas, who is a Prisoner of Conscience, we welcome you to this press briefing.
We are here as a group of Nigerians who have come from different ethnic, religious and political leanings to call the attention of the world to the grim situation of Kaduna-born Citizen Steven Kefas, who as at today, Monday October 7, 2019, spent 139 days in Kaduna Prison without bail for criticising Mallam Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai of Kaduna state over the mindless murders of peaceful citizens by rampaging herdsmen, among others.
This press conference will unveil the hostile and intolerant atmosphere that Freedom of Speech and Fundamental Human Rights have been disparaged under the administration of el-Rufai. Today, we cannot hold this press conference in Kaduna on account of tyranny and suppression of basic freedoms in the state.
Distinguished Gentlemen of the press, you may recall that the NUJ Kaduna secretariat, was turned into a theatre of bloodshed and violence in 2017 when armed thugs, ostensibly at the pleasure of the Governor, invaded the venue of a press conference organised by Senator Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi and Senator Shehu Sani (then Senators representing Kaduna North and Kaduna Central) and unleashed violence on reporters and party officials.
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We will also like to remind members of the press that Kaduna State has attained notoriety for tyrannical attitude and indiscriminately engaged in locking up journalists and social media commentators at the slightest opportunity.
Arising from the harsh environment, reporters are faced to practise their profession, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in 2017 declared Kaduna state as the worst place to practice journalism in Nigeria. Regrettably, nothing has changed as critics have suffered incarceration, revered traditional rulers have suffered imprisonment over what the state government described as “inciting” comments.
Travails Of Kefas As Champion Of Truth
Since the emergence of EL-Rufai as Kaduna State Governor in 2015, the rising profile of Kefas has turned him the most vocal, vitriolic and consistent critic of the government. As an indigene of Kaduna state, with deep grassroots connections, Kefas had developed an intricate web of sources for information on the latest happenings in the state, especially on the spate of killings and insecurity brought about by blood-thirsty herdsmen. Owing to his interest and network of informants both within and outside of government, he would always be the first to break most news on mass killings in the state, especially in the besieged Southern Kaduna communities where he hails from.
For exposing the underbelly of falsehood over the spate of bloodshed and insecurity in Kaduna State, the government was always angry with the sterling disposition of the social media activist who was always engaged in exposing the hair-rising massacre going on with pictorial evidence of the carnage. As the army of critics got arrested and thrown into jail by the Kaduna State Government, Steven kept getting threats of arrests and at times, threats to his life.
The intolerance of the el-Rufai government towards Kefas’ relentless criticism reached its crescendo during the massacre of Adara natives and the decimation of their villages in Kajuru Local Government of Kaduna State in March 2019. Shortly before that, Kefas had maintained a robust hashtag #WhoKilledAgomAdara in the quest to unearth forces behind the gruesome kidnap and subsequent assassination of the Agom Adara, Dr. Raphael Maiwada in October 2018. To the consternation of the Adara people, shortly after the murder of the Monarch, the Adara Chiefdom was split into Kachia Chiefdom and Kajuru Emirate.
In the heat of the Adara massacres, the Chairman of Kajuru LGA, Mr Cafra Caino, whose coming to office was deemed controversial among his Adara kingmakers, reportedly held a birthday party. That was the focus of Kefas who lampooned him for being insensitive to the plight of his people. el-Rufai had arrested the second in command to the stool of the Agom Adara, Engr. Bawa Magaji, Chairman of Adara Development Association (ADA) Mr. Dio Maisamari and clamped them in jail over allegation of culpable homicide. After over 100 days in Kaduna prison, the Adara elders were set free as there was no evidence linking them to the allegation.
March To Incarceration Without Bail
On the 8th May 2019, Kefas was arrested in a mafia-style operation by a combined team of policemen from Kaduna and Port Harcourt. He was detained in Minikoro, Police Area Command, Port Harcourt, from where he was driven to Kaduna and was detained by the Kaduna State Investigation Bureau (KSIB).
On the 13th of May, 2019, Kefas was arraigned before Magistrate Court 11 where he was told that the charges were based on two allegations: One emanated from the Office of the Special Adviser to Governor Nasir El-Rufai on Legal Matters, Aisha Dikko (who is now the current Commissioner of Justice), dated 21st March. In the petition, Kefas had on his twitter handle, @realKefason, made disparaging remarks against the el-Rufai which the government noted were capable of inciting disturbance in Kaduna state. The other petition was from Cafra Caino, dated 24th April 2019, in which he accused Kefas of disparaging his name to the extent that he had become a subject of public odium in his LGA.
When the charges were read against him, Kefas pleaded not guilty. Despite argument against his bail by the led prosecution counsel, Barr. Bayero, the magistrate granted Kefas bail with two sureties. After meeting his bail terms, he was set free as the magistrate warned the police not to arrest him on the same issues again. But in shocking disregard to the ruling of the magistrate, the sureties of Kefas were put under pressure to turn himself to the police in Kaduna.
On the 21st May 2019, Kefas turned himself in, and the police seized his phones as exhibits to be tendered during prosecution. He was detained by the Kaduna State Intelligence Bureau (KSIB) for two weeks, despite an earlier bail ruling by the magistrate court. On the 3rd of June, he was arraigned again before another magistrate court. This time around the charge was premised on Cafra’s petition that was seen as a subterfuge for the governor’s cover. The new magistrate court refused to grant him bail and upheld the argument by the state counsels that while Kefas was under the two week’s detention of the police, he was still making posts on the social media. No evidence whatsoever was tendered. How Kefas could be engaged in social media using a phone that had been seized by the police remains a mystery.
With bail denied by the magistrate, Kefas was remanded in Kaduna Prison. On the 20th June 2019, his case was transferred to Kaduna High Court 2 before Justice Mairo Mohammed. After studying arguments for and against granting him bail, she adjourned judgement until 27th June, 2019. Justice Mairo on that day claimed that Kefas was still accessing social media platforms even while under police detention. Ever since Kefas has so far spent 139 days in Kaduna Prison over a bailable offence.
In the first place, it is impossible for Kefas to have had access to the social media since his phones were seized by the police who had kept him under the tight custody. Again, there was no court that had ruled that it was an offence on the part of Kefas to use the social media while his prosecution was going on.
Our Demands
We call for the immediate release of Kefason and the reinforcement of his fundamental Human rights.
We call on the Nigeria Judicial Council (NJC) to investigate how a Nigerian citizen could face such indefinite prison detention over a spurious allegation that attracts simpler bail conditions.
All people of conscience should join in calling Justice Mairo Mohammed to grant Kefas bail to allow for a dispassionate dispensation of justice.
Let Nigeria and the world know that Kaduna State has become a centre of intimidation, harassment and human rights violations unleashed by agents of Kaduna State who are clearly in bed and be in a conspiracy with judicial officials to foist an atmosphere of fear, panic and lack of observance of constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of the citizens.
