The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Minna Branch, has called on the Niger State Police Command to immediately release Abdulmalik Usman Nagenu, the New Nigeria Peoples’ Party (NNPP) chairmanship candidate in the November 1, 2025, Bida Local Government election.

Nagenu has been in police custody since November 4, 2025, following the omission of his name and party logo from the ballot papers. The NBA described the detention as a violation of constitutional and human rights, arguing that electoral disputes should be addressed through an election tribunal, not detention.

In a letter dated November 18, 2025, to the Commissioner of Police, the NBA Human Rights Committee said Nagenu’s confinement contravenes the 1999 Constitution, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR).

The statement read in part:

“Our client was arrested on the 4th of November, 2025, detained, and has been languishing in a police cell with no clear definition of his alleged offence, nor has he been arraigned before a competent court. This is a flagrant infringement of his constitutional rights.”

The NBA urged the police to release Nagenu unconditionally, emphasizing the police’s duty to uphold the rule of law and protect human dignity.

Nagenu’s legal team has filed a fundamental rights enforcement application at the Federal High Court to challenge his continued confinement. His lawyer, Ibrahim Usman Wali, described the detention conditions as “blatant constitutional aberrations” and dehumanizing, stressing that the case goes beyond Nagenu’s liberty to the integrity of Nigeria’s constitutional safeguards.

Wali added:

“The State cannot detain a citizen first and ‘look for a case’ later. Hon. Nagenu’s detention violates both the 1999 Constitution and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.”

Political observers have suggested the arrest may be politically motivated, citing Nagenu’s growing grassroots popularity. Reports also indicate that his omission from the ballot raised concerns about electoral irregularities.

Following his arrest at his residence in Bida, Nagenu was transferred to the Niger State CID in Minna, where his lawyer confirmed that while his condition is stable, the detention facility is highly dehumanizing.

The NBA is awaiting an immediate response from the police, stressing that continued detention without charge is unlawful, indefensible, and an assault on the rule of law.