A Katsina resident, Aminu Sanda, popularly known as Nesta, has been remanded in custody after being charged with treasonable felony over allegations that he destroyed campaign billboards bearing the image of President Bola Tinubu.
Sanda was initially invited by the police in Katsina following allegations that he pulled down pro-Tinubu billboards and broke into the Katsina State secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC), where he was allegedly accused of carting away N35 million.
He has, however, denied the allegations, describing them as unfounded.
Following his transfer to the Force Headquarters in Abuja, Sanda was arraigned before a Magistrate Court in Jiwa, Federal Capital Territory, on charges including treasonable felony.
The police had filed a motion ex parte seeking an initial two-week remand to enable them investigate the allegations. However, when his lawyers approached the court on Tuesday seeking bail, the police requested another two weeks to conclude their investigation.
Magistrate Huzaifa Macchudo subsequently reserved ruling on the bail application, with the case adjourned until September 15.
Sanda’s lawyers have expressed concern that the reserved ruling could provide an opportunity for the police to seek a further extension of his detention.
The treasonable felony charge has also triggered questions from legal practitioners, who have challenged whether pulling down a political billboard can legally amount to treasonable felony.
Human rights lawyer, Hameed Ajibola Jimoh, described the charge as surprising.
“It’s shocking that removing a billboard would amount to a treasonable felony,” he told Daily Trust.
“Felony has a definition. Treason also has a definition. Removing a billboard is political,” he said.
“Such does not, to the best of my knowledge, amount to a treasonable felony, except we look at the section under which they are charging the person and what the law says.”
Similarly, Abuja-based lawyer Barrister Abdurrahman Salis questioned the basis of the charge.
“It is surprising. It would be surprising not only to a lawyer but even to a law student to see this kind of charge pressed against a person alleged to have pulled down the President’s billboard in Katsina State,” Salis told Daily Trust.
“Under our laws, for an act to constitute an offence, it must be defined by law. The elements of that offence must be stated by law and the punishment must also be provided,” he said.
“Under the treasonable felony provisions that we are talking about, there is nowhere that pulling down a presidential billboard is mentioned as a treasonable felony.”
“If you look at it critically, pulling down a presidential billboard does not qualify as a treasonable felony under our laws.”
Salis noted that depending on the circumstances, the alleged act could potentially constitute another offence, but maintained that such an offence would be distinct from treasonable felony.
The development comes amid growing political tension within the Katsina chapter of the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.
The controversy reportedly began following the destruction of billboards bearing the images of President Tinubu and his Special Adviser on Political Affairs, Ibrahim Masari, in parts of the state.
Two security aides attached to Katsina State Governor Umar Dikko Radda were also reportedly invited to the police headquarters in Abuja over allegations surrounding the destruction of the billboards.
Sanda, who described himself as the Katsina State chairman of the Dikko/Tinubu Vanguard, a support group backing President Tinubu, has questioned why he would destroy billboards promoting a president and political movement he supports.
The allegations have emerged against the backdrop of reported divisions and political realignments within the Katsina APC, particularly between interests associated with Governor Radda’s political structure and federal-level politicians, including Masari.
