Two senior security aides to Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda were questioned at the Nigeria Police Force headquarters in Abuja last week over the alleged destruction of campaign billboards featuring Ibrahim Masari, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Political Affairs. The interrogation has sharpened the political divide within the Katsina chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), pitting state-based loyalists against federal appointees.
Security Aides Questioned Over Billboard Vandalism
The officials, Aide-de-Camp SP Abdulganiyu Bello and Chief Security Officer DSP Hassan Bello, were invited to Abuja for questioning over the alleged vandalism of billboards along the Modoji Junction-Katsina Government House Road. The billboards reportedly displayed prominent images of President Tinubu and Masari, with the governor's image either absent or given far less prominence.
Nigeria Police Force spokesman Anietie Iniedu, a Chief Superintendent of Police, rejected claims that the two officials were arrested or detained. "They were invited for an interview. They were not arrested or detained," he said. He declined to provide further details on the reasons for the questioning.
As reported by Daily Trust, whether the two men have since returned to Katsina remains unclear, as sources said they had not been seen in the state since being taken in. The Katsina State Government's Chief of Staff, Abdulkadir Nasir, reportedly travelled to Abuja to push for their release. A man identified as Aminu Sanda, also known as Aminu Nasta and described as a leader of a political group in Katsina, was also arrested in connection with the billboard incident.
APC Fractured Along Geographic Lines
The incident has brought into sharper focus a deeper political divide within the Katsina APC. Two informal camps have emerged: one referred to as "Katsina APC," made up largely of party members loyal to Governor Radda and based within the state, and another called "Katsina/Abuja APC," comprising Katsina politicians who hold influential positions at the federal level. Masari, widely regarded as close to President Tinubu and considered highly influential within the APC on matters concerning Katsina, is associated with the latter group.
The tension intensified after Governor Radda and several of his allies were left off the recently released list of members of the party's Presidential Campaign Council. Governor Radda's Special Adviser on Political Matters, Alhaji Ya'u Umar Gwajo-Gwajo, dismissed talk of a crisis, describing recent events as routine political manoeuvring ahead of the 2027 elections. "Governor Radda has never shown any sign of having issues with the presidency," he said. He added that the governor remains the state coordinator of President Tinubu's 2027 campaign.
The governor's Director General of Media, Maiwada Danmalam, also said he did not know about any rift between Radda and Masari, urging the media to handle such sensitive political matters with care.
State Government Silent on Security Arrests
Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that Katsina government maintained silence on the arrest of suspected terrorist leaders at the airport after the Hajj pilgrimage. Earlier, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Interior, revealed that seven ISWAP and Boko Haram commanders were arrested and handed to the DSS. Public reaction to Katsina's statement highlighted concerns over the state government's lack of transparency on security issues.
