A COALITION of media and civil society organisations in Nigeria has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, demanding urgent protection for Katsina-based whistleblower, Mubarak Bello, and a full investigation into the alleged police payroll fraud he exposed.
The petition, dated September 18, 2025, was copied to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi; the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Musa Adamu Aliyu, and the Katsina State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Fadila Mohammed Dikko.
The Coalition for Whistleblower Protection and Press Freedom (CWPPF) described Bello’s situation as a serious and imminent threat to life, while urging the police to act swiftly to protect him and his family.
Bello, an entrepreneur who ran a business centre within the Katsina State Police headquarters, was arrested on September 13 after a night patrol intercepted his car.
Police alleged they recovered a locally made rifle, live cartridges and a fake police identity card. They accused him of impersonation, unlawful possession of firearms and use of a false ID.
However, investigations by The ICIR revealed that Bello had for years pursued allegations of a ghost-worker scheme within the Katsina command, petitioning the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the ICPC, the Attorney General of the Federation and the Police Service Commission.
In his petition to the Attorney General of the Federation, Bello claimed the ID card was originally issued to him by the police when an attempt was made to enlist him and another individual into the force as part of the alleged fraud.
Although investigators confirmed that the ICPC invited key suspects, including finance officers CSP Bashir Abubakar and ASP Yakubu Ibrahim, the officers refused to appear, citing the need for approval from the former 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.
Reacting to this further, the coalition asked the Nigerian Police Force to “provide Mubarak Bello and his family with adequate security and protection to ensure their safety until this matter is fully resolved.
“The Nigerian Police Force should conduct a prompt, thorough, and diligent investigation into the alleged payroll fraud scheme, the allegations against him by the police, and take all necessary action to apprehend all perpetrators and prevent any further harm to Mr. Bello and his family.”
The ICIR reports that the coalition’s latest petition followed its earlier statement demanding Bello’s immediate release.
In a statement on Wednesday, September 16, the coalition described Bello’s arrest and detention as ‘disgraceful’.
It 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 coalition wrote.
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