Two prominent chieftains of the opposition All Nigeria Peoples Party were sent to prison remand by a Sharia court in Kano yesterday for allegedly criticising Governor Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso.Shehu Isa Direba and Anas Abba Dala, who are members of the ANPP publicity committee, were charged to court after going on the radio lambasting the governor's directive to former local government council chairmen to return their official vehicles to the government, and also criticising an aide.They were first arrested and detained at Nassarawa police division in Kano about two weeks ago but were later released on bail following the intervention of some ANPP chieftains.On Wednesday, the two were arraigned again before the Unguwa Uku sharia court by the police for making utterances that would incite the public against the state government. They were granted bail yesterday with stiff conditions, which they were yet to meet and so were returned to prison custody.Direba spoke on a radio political program where he criticised Kwankwaso for asking all former chairmen who served during the Shekarau regime to return their official vehicles. Dala on the same platform alleged that the doctorate degree the chief of staff to Kwankwaso claimed to have got was not academically acquired.Direba said the former council bosses did not commit any offence by not returning the official vehicles allocated to them since 'the law clearly provides for that'. He urged them to defy the governor and retain the vehicles.He alleged that when Kwankwaso left office in 2003 more than 200 official vehicles allocated to former political appointees then were not retrieved by the Shekarau administration.Soon after making those comments, the police in Kano arrested him saying his utterances were capable of inciting the public against the government.For his part, Dala was taken to the sharia court following a personal complaint made to the police by Kwankwaso's chief of staff Yunusa Adamu Dangwani who said Dala's allegation that his doctorate degree was not academic was injurious to his personal reputation.When the politicians were arraigned on Wednesday by the police before the Unguwa Uku sharia court presided over by Faruk Ahmad, they all pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.The judge refused them bail that day and so directed that they should be remanded at Kurmawa central prison till yesterday. But the judge again refused them bail yesterday until they produce a reliable public officer on grade 15 in addition to an owner of a house in Kano with certificate of occupancy.The presiding judge left the court when former managing director of Radio Kano Alhaji Ghali Sadiq brought the sureties to the court around 5: 15pm. So the detained politicians have to remain in the prison till today. The case was adjourned to January 4 for mention.Later yesterday, member representing Sumaila/Takai federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Alhaji Suleiman Abdulrahman Kawu, visited the remanded politicians at Kurmawa central prison, and accused Kwankwaso's administration of having a hand in the prosecution of the two politicians.Speaking to newsmen after the visit, Kawu who described Kwankwaso's administration as not 'politically friendly' also said he was surprised the politicians were not granted bail yet since they did not commit any capital offence.When contacted for comments, Kwankwaso's chief of staff Yunusa Adamu Dangwani said he took Anas Abba Dala to court to claim damages over an 'injurious allegation' against his person. He said as a person he has every right to sue anybody who attempted to dent his hard earned reputation.Dangwani also said the Kwankwaso government has no hand in the prosecution of Shehu Idris Direba as it is only case between the accused and Kano State police command.
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