Governor Umaru Bago of Niger State has reportedly ordered the arrest of Malam Idris Usman Makanta, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governorship aspirant in the state.
POLITICS NIGERIA gathered that Makanta, who also served as a coordinator of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) in Niger, was picked up by the police after he allegedly criticised the Bago administration and introduced an independent agricultural initiative not linked to the government.
Family members say the septuagenarian has been held in detention for almost two weeks, despite being granted bail.
They described the charges against him as politically motivated and aimed at silencing voices that question the government’s activities.
Sources close to Makanta said his “offence” was limited to expressing his views online about the state’s handling of agriculture and his decision to pursue an investor-supported private farming project.
The government reportedly saw this as a threat to its Niger Foods initiative, which has faced criticism from several quarters.
According to his lawyers, “Malam Makanta never handled one kobo. His role was only to verify and forward the names of genuine farmers in his community, and to act as a guarantor so that those farmers could benefit from inputs already approved by Niger Foods.”
They further explained that “Niger Foods did the purchasing, Niger Foods did the distribution, and Niger Foods was solely responsible for supervision, monitoring and recovery.”
The legal team added that delays in the 2024 recovery process happened because the agency failed to release monitoring funds.
“In fact, when that happened, Malam Makanta used his own modest resources to support recovery, simply to protect government assets.
But when the same default repeated in 2025, he refused to use his personal pocket again. That is where the retaliation began,” the lawyer said.
It was learnt that Makanta was first arrested on October 31, 2025, and charged the following Monday at Chief Magistrates Court I in Minna.
He was accused of mismanaging farm inputs, a claim his supporters say is false and politically driven.
Family members also alleged that after his bail was granted, the police made attempts to rearrest him within the court premises, an action foiled by residents present that day.
They said the police have ignored valid court orders, allegedly waiting for “instructions from the governor.”
Reports indicate that efforts are ongoing to pressure Makanta into dropping his case through an “out-of-court settlement,” which his family has rejected.
They also say his health is deteriorating due to poor conditions in detention and lack of medical access.
His legal counsel said, “Alhaji Idris Makanta has not been convicted of any offence. Two competent courts have granted him bail. Yet, he’s languishing in unhealthy cell with hardened and notorious criminals.”
The team further noted that “Malam Makanta has reaffirmed his commitment to submit himself for any lawful investigation to present all the facts and dubious acts of the Niger Foods for the court of law for the world to see.”
As of the time of filing this report, the Niger State Government and the Police Command are yet to issue any official statement on the matter.