We don't know about Audu Maikori’s arrest - Police

The Nigerian Police has on Sunday denied being responsible for the arrest and incarceration of Audu Maikori, CEO of Chocolate City Entertainment, who has been at loggerheads with the Kaduna State government for alleged incitement to violence.

“We’re not aware of his arrest,” Kaduna police spokesperson, Aliyu Usman, told newsmen on Sunday afternoon.

The disclosure, which was made after two days of repeated enquiries from this newspaper, marked the first public statement by the police since Mr. Maikori was arrested on Friday morning for the second time in a month.

It came hours after Mr. Maikori’s lawyer told newsmen that the Kaduna State government had concluded plans to arraign him before a court on Monday morning.

It was reported how the label executive was arrested by the police and subsequently taken to Kaduna, based on information provided by his lawyers.

“I am aware that the police in Abuja are taking Audu to Kaduna,” Mark Jacobs, Mr. Maikori’s lawyer, told newsmen Friday afternoon.

Reports over the weekend, including tweets by the National Human Rights Commission, said police in Kaduna were holding Mr. Maikori at the State Criminal Investigation Department.