The Special Adviser on Print Media to Niger State Governor Umaru Mohammed Bago, Aisha Wakas, has ordered the arrest of two journalists Yakubu Mustapha Bina, Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Niger State, and freelance journalist Fodio Ahmed over allegations of defamation.
Bina was summoned to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Minna on Wednesday, where he was questioned for six hours before being released.
Sources revealed that the police tried to pressure him into admitting he shared defamatory content about Wakaso, but he refused.
According to insiders, the police initially planned to detain Bina, but his release was secured after intervention by high-ranking officials. However, his phone was confiscated, and he was ordered to return on Thursday for further investigation.
Meanwhile, Fodio Ahmed, who wrote the controversial article titled “Bidding Farewell to Freelancing: Hello Nexter! An Open Letter to Aisha Wakaso,” remains in police custody.
The article, published on March 7, 2025, accused Wakaso of causing divisions within the media and working against Governor Bago’s interests.
Wakaso filed a lawsuit, claiming the article was malicious and damaged her reputation. She also accused Bina of sharing the article in multiple WhatsApp groups, including government circles, and demanded a public apology and retraction.
Police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun confirmed that Wakaso reported a criminal complaint against the journalists for defamation, falsehood, and cyberbullying. He stated that the case is under investigation and clarified that the governor was not involved.
This is the second time Bina has been arrested by government officials. In January, he was questioned by the Department of State Services (DSS) after reporting on a bandit attack on the governor’s convoy during a visit to Shiroro Local Government Area.
