The Federal Government on Monday arraigned a social critic, Muhammad Mahdi, for allegedly defaming the character of the Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, the government and that of the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Mustapha Inuwa.

Mahdi had been taken into custody for allegedly inciting the public against the trio.

Mahdi, who was arraigned before a Federal High Court sitting in Kano on six counts bordering on criminal defamation, pleaded not guilty to all the offences.

The prosecution counsel, ACP Simon Lough, accused Mahdi of alleged violation of his bail conditions and publishing 32 new defamation episodes from March 2021 to June 28, 2021, against Masari on the internet.

Mahdi was said to have accused Masari of squandering N62bn  of Katsina treasury funds, squandering N64bn security votes and saying that the governor approved N500n for the All Progressives Congress meetings in Abuja.