A COALITION of media and civil society groups has demanded the immediate release of Mubarak Bello, a whistleblower who exposed an alleged multi-million-naira payroll fraud in the Katsina State Police Command.
In a statement on Wednesday September 16, the Coalition for Whistleblower Protection and Press Freedom (CWPPF) described Bello’s arrest and detention as ‘disgraceful’.
The coalition also accused the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) of shielding suspects while punishing the man who exposed them.
“The CWPPF finds it utterly disturbing that the police, rather than investigating the credible allegations of corruption within their ranks, have chosen to victimise the whistleblower,” the statement read.
Backstory
The ICIR reported that Bello, 38, ran a small business centre inside the headquarters of the Katsina State Police Command, offering typing and documentation services to officers.
In 2017, while helping to prepare salary and promotion papers, he said he uncovered a long-running scheme in which senior finance officers allegedly created ghost workers and diverted police salaries into private accounts.
Between 2019 and 2021, Bello petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Attorney-General of the Federation, and the Police Service Commission (PSC)
Investigators confirmed that the ICPC invited key suspects, including finance officers CSP Bashir Abubakar and ASP Yakubu Ibrahim, but the officers refused to appear, citing the need for approval from the then Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu.
That approval, ICPC officials said, never came, despite a couple of letters written to the Inspector General of Police.
The ICIR gathered that this consequently stalled the probe and have put the life of Bello, who has since been facing repeated attacks from the accused police officers, in danger.
Similarly, the police have allegedly raided his home and office, seizing equipment and documents.
He was first arrested in 2020 on allegations of impersonating a police officer. In October 2024, machete-wielding men attacked him and inflicted severe injuries on his head and hand.
Earlier, before the attack, The ICIR gathered that Bello had been arrested and detained by the police in Kaduna. He was later charged in court before he eventually regained freedom after spirited efforts by lawyers.
On 13 September 2025, the Katsina State Police Command announced Bello’s latest arrest, accusing him of impersonation, possessing a fake police ID and unlawfully carrying a firearm after a night patrol allegedly intercepted his car in Kaduna and recovered a rifle and cartridges.
However, The ICIR authoritatively reported that Bello’s arrest was an act of victimisation by the Katsina State Police Command to silence him, after blowing the whistle on a ghost police workers scheme, allegedly perpetrated by the command several years ago.
A senior official of the ICPC close to the investigation of Bello’s petition said uncooperative attitude of the police authorities stalled the probe into the petition by the accused.
The official said he was sure that Bello’s arrest amounted to victimisation for blowing the whistle to anti-corruption agencies, noting that the police ID card said to be fake was issued to him by the same police as part of the scheme to include his name in their payroll.
Coalition demands Bello’s release
Reacting, the CWPPF demanded round-the-clock protection for Bello and his family.
It also demanded the immediate suspension of all charges, and an independent probe outside police control into the payroll fraud and attacks on the whistleblower.
“We demand an independent and impartial investigation into the payroll fraud at the Katsina State Police Command and the subsequent hounding of Mr. Bello. This investigation must be conducted by a body outside of the Police Force to ensure its credibility.
“All individuals found culpable in the payroll racket, the obstruction of justice, and the attacks on Mr. Bello, no matter their rank or position, must be immediately prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
“The case of Mubarak Bello is a litmus test for the Nigerian government’s professed commitment to fighting corruption and protecting whistleblowers. Failure to act decisively and in clear adherence to the rule of law sends a clear message to all Nigerians that they are on their own if they dare to speak out against the powerful,” the coalition added.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M