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<p>Kano-based human rights lawyer, Barrister Abba Hikima, has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to release blogger Maryam Shehu, who he says has been in the agency’s custody for more than 30 days without being charged with an offence.</p><div class="i4Cdf4g9" style="clear:both;float:left;width:100%;margin:0 0 20px 0;"><script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>

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<p>Hikima made the call in a statement published on his verified Facebook page, where he expressed concern over the circumstances surrounding Shehu’s arrest and continued detention.</p>
<p>According to the lawyer, Shehu, a Kano-based blogger, was arrested in Kano and subsequently taken to Abuja for detention by the EFCC after allegedly raising allegations of corruption involving officials of the anti-graft agency.</p>
<p>Hikima questioned the justification for the blogger’s prolonged detention, insisting that she should either be charged before a competent court if she committed an offence or released immediately.</p><div class="66xpLA8u" style="clear:both;float:left;width:100%;margin:0 0 20px 0;"><script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>

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<p>“Maryam did not steal. She did not defraud anyone. Yet, EFCC detained her for over 30 days,” Hikima stated.</p>
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<p>The lawyer alleged that Shehu was not being investigated for conventional economic and financial crimes such as stealing, fraud or money laundering. He also raised concerns about the EFCC’s alleged involvement as complainant and investigator in a matter in which allegations had reportedly been made against some of its own officials.</p>
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<p>Hikima further alleged that Shehu was lured by an EFCC official under the guise of a business opportunity before she was arrested in Kano and transported to Abuja.</p>
<p>He described the allegation as troubling and called for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the blogger’s arrest and detention.</p>
<p>The lawyer also claimed that Shehu had been denied bail and had remained in custody for more than 30 days.</p>
<p>He argued that prolonged detention without trial should not be used as a form of punishment, stressing that an investigation should not amount to a conviction.</p>
<p>“If Maryam committed any offence, charge her before a competent court. Otherwise, release her immediately and allow an independent investigation into the allegations against the EFCC officials,” Hikima said.</p>
<p>Calls for Human Rights Intervention</p>
<p>Hikima disclosed that he and his legal team were working on court papers concerning the matter. He also appealed to human rights organisations to urgently intervene and ensure that Shehu’s fundamental rights are protected.</p>
<p>The lawyer said the case raises broader concerns about due process, the rights of persons in detention and the need for transparency when allegations involve officials of a law enforcement agency.</p>
<p>“Investigation is not punishment. Release Maryam Shehu or charge her to court,” he said, using the hashtag #FreeMaryamShehu to amplify the campaign for her release.</p>
<p>The allegations contained in Hikima’s statement could not independently establish Shehu’s legal status or the specific grounds for her detention.</p>
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