Human rights activists under the aegis of Centrum Initiative for Human Rights Development and Fundamental Rights Advocacy have decried the continued detention “and malicious intimidation and political prosecution” of their member and Director of Strategy, John Danfulani, Ph.D.

Dr John Danfulani’s travails started a week ago when he was queried by his employers, the Kaduna State University, over an article he wrote which the school the school authorities claimed has the potentials of causing rancour among students and staff of the university community. Dr. Danfulani allegedly insulted President Muhammadu Buhari and some northern leaders in the said article which gained wide exposure on his Facebook wall.

But his group members believe that Kaduna University authorities have no right to stop him from expressing his view on issues relating to Kaduna State and Nigeria’s development.

A statement signed by the group’s Spokesman, George Brown, said of Dr. Danfulani: “He is a teacher par excellence, who upholds equity and fairness, and an advocate of justice. We are aware that several organisations both human rights and ethnic bodies have called for this unjust persecution of our venerable icon to cease forthwith, as this will exacerbate the matter.

“We are not oblivious of the curious fact that government or its agents may be fuelling the matter to their own end as the whole hubris smirks of organised government controlled interests.

“That John Danfulani is a tax paying and law abiding citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria whose rights are fully guaranteed in Chapter 4 (four) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and as such has never been convicted by any Court of Law, he is a Northerner, a Teacher charged with training and mentoring of wards for a better and greater Nigeria.”

The group warned of a regression to the military impunity of yester-years where good citizens were intimidated, coerced, cajoled, bamboozled and freedom of expression gagged.

“It is a fact that this same John Danfulani’s persuasive and intellectual skills were used by the present Government of the day to victory. Clearly, John Danfulani connotes this country’s bright elements possessed of a writer’s narrative imagery, poetic license and vivid imagination. It will be unfortunate therefore, if his literary skills are misconstrued for selfish reasons by mischievous proxies,” the statement said.

•Photo shows detained activist-lecturer, Dr. John Danfulani.

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