ARREST SPARKS OUTRAGE: Kebbi Journalist Detained After Exposing Rot in General Hospital

Shockwaves have hit Kebbi State following the arrest of journalist Hassan Mai-Waya Kangiwa, who was reportedly detained after releasing a viral video exposing the deplorable state of healthcare facilities at Kangiwa General Hospital.

The footage, which drew widespread condemnation, showed an elderly patient lying helplessly on a bare bed frame without a mattress—a stark reflection of the crumbling state of public healthcare in parts of Nigeria.

Instead of sparking urgent government action to address the dire situation, the whistleblower journalist now faces arrest, a development that has triggered public anger, with rights advocates and civil society groups describing it as an attempt to silence the truth and intimidate the press.

“This is not just about one journalist—it’s about the right of Nigerians to know the truth about the conditions in their hospitals,” a human rights lawyer said, warning that the arrest marks a dangerous precedent for press freedom.

The incident has ignited heated debate nationwide: Why punish the messenger instead of fixing the message?

As calls grow for his immediate release, the Kebbi State government faces mounting pressure to address not only the journalist’s detention but also the appalling state of its hospitals that he courageously exposed.