Coalition asks ICPC to protect whistleblower detained by police in Katsina

The Coalition for Whistleblower Protection and Press Freedom (CWPPF) has called on the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to urgently intervene in the arrest of Mubarak Bello by the police.

Last month, the police command in Katsina arrested Bello for alleged unlawful possession of a firearm and impersonation.

The arrest followed Bello’s uncovering of a scheme involving senior finance officers who allegedly created ghost workers on police payroll and diverted their salaries.

The whistleblower was said to have petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the ICPC and the attorney-general of the federation over the scheme.

After submitting the petition, Bello was reportedly subjected to intimidation and harassment, including brutal attacks by thugs with machetes in October 2024.

In a letter addressed to the ICPC Chairman, the coalition urged the commission to “take immediate steps to offer full protection to this whistleblower, in view of the obvious and immediate danger around him at this time”.

The letter, signed by Chido Onumah, coordinator of the African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL), on behalf of CWPPF, said Bello’s ordeal was a direct retaliation for his disclosure of corruption to relevant anti-graft agencies, including the ICPC.

“Mr. Bello was indeed detained and is being punished by the police for his public interest disclosure of wrongdoing to anti-corruption agencies, including the ICPC, and not for the offences the police publicly alleged,” the letter reads.

“That singular patriotic act of reporting fraud around police personnel salary in Katsina State qualifies him as a whistleblower, and therefore entitled to protection against victimization, harassment, intimidation and any harmful act.”

CWPPF warned that failure to act promptly could have grave consequences.

“If no critical oversight institution of state wades into this case to protect the whistleblower, he might die from the injuries from the atrocious attacks continually unleashed on him by some elements in the police,” the coalition wrote.

The coalition reminded the ICPC of its key role in Nigeria’s whistleblowing policy, under the presidential initiative on continuous audit (PICA) managed by the ministry of finance.

“ICPC is a co-custodian of the whistleblowing policy. We do not believe that details contained in Section 12 of the policy, which specifies effective protection for whistleblowers who face reprisals for genuine exposure of wrongdoing in the public interest, can be lost on the ICPC,” the letter reads.

“We urge you most passionately to quickly deploy the powers of your office to put an immediate stop to the ongoing police reprisals against Mr. Bello, who incidentally places his only hope of rescue from his vicious persecution on the ICPC.”