The Nigeria Police, Zone One Headquarters, Kano, have questioned popular broadcast journalist Ibrahim Ishaq, popularly known as Dan’uwa Rano, over allegations of defamation and operating an online television channel without approval from the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
Report says that the interrogation followed a petition by the Director-General of Protocol at the Kano State Government House, Abdullahi Ibrahim Rogo, who accused the journalist of defaming him through reports aired on Danuwa Rano TV, an online media platform.
The journalist was invited to the Zone One Police Headquarters in Kano on Saturday, where he was grilled over the allegations.
Read Also:
Northwest University Kano Appoints Professor Aisha Garba Habib as Acting Vice Chancellor
The development comes amid ongoing scrutiny of Rogo, who is reportedly under investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over alleged financial irregularities involving contracts worth about ₦6.5 billion.
According to an earlier report by Daily Nigerian, the ICPC had recovered over ₦1.1 billion from Rogo as part of its probe into alleged misappropriation of public funds. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is also said to be investigating related transactions linked to fictitious contracts and fund diversions through corporate and personal accounts.
However, the Kano State Government has denied the corruption allegations, describing them as politically motivated. In a statement signed by the Governor’s spokesman, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, the government said the reports were “a work of fiction aimed at tarnishing the image of government officials.”
Meanwhile, journalists and civil society organizations in Kano have condemned the police interrogation of Dan’uwa Rano, describing it as an attempt to intimidate the media and silence critical voices in the state.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the police nor the NBC had released an official statement regarding the interrogation or the alleged licensing violations.