Nansel Lar and the Freedom to Demand Accountability

By Nankpak Cirfat

Every Nigerian, even those from Langtang, must be free to ask how public money is spent and to discuss the answers openly. That conviction guides my response to reports of the rearrest of Nansel Selnan Lar. The authorities should explain the grounds for his arrest, respect his rights, and ensure that questions about public expenditure receive proper scrutiny, just as his arrest does.

I write as someone with roots in Langtang North whose work with Connected Development and its Follow The Money initiative has deepened my commitment to public accountability. For me, the connection is personal. Discussions about local government spending concern the communities I come from and the opportunities available to people whose welfare matters to me.

Two months ago, I completed pro-freedom writing training with The Liberalist Center. I bring that commitment to this discussion alongside my work in public accountability. To me, defending freedom means standing up for the space in which people can question authority, express disagreement, and seek information. That commitment must remain visible when the person speaking is controversial or when their questions make powerful people uncomfortable.

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In a report published on October 27, 2026, SaharaReporters said Lar had been rearrested by law enforcement on Monday, October 26. The report did not establish the specific grounds for the latest arrest. That uncertainty makes an official explanation essential. It also requires those of us commenting publicly to distinguish what has been reported from what has been verified.

My position begins with a straightforward conviction: peaceful demands for information about public spending deserve a substantive response. Citizens should be able to ask what their local government received, what was approved, which contractors were engaged, and what communities ultimately received. Public institutions should make those answers accessible.

This is central to the work of Follow The Money. Its approach connects the tracking of public resources with community participation and evidence about service delivery. A budget figure becomes meaningful when people can relate it to a functioning classroom, a reliable water source, or a health facility equipped to serve them. When the records and the reality appear to differ, further questions are necessary.

I do not have to endorse every statement Nansel has made to defend his freedom to speak and insist on fair treatment. Neither should anyone else. Making that defense conditional on personal agreement would leave freedom available only to people whose views we already approve of. Public officials should expect scrutiny, including criticism expressed in language they would not choose themselves.

Accountability also requires discipline from those making allegations. A claim about missing funds or an unexecuted project must be examined carefully. Budget provisions, releases, payments, and completed work are different stages of public expenditure. Sound scrutiny must establish which stage the evidence supports. Officials should have the opportunity to respond, and advocates should correct inaccuracies when they emerge.

Care with evidence strengthens public debate. It must never become a demand that citizens remain silent until they can conduct a complete investigation on their own. Often, the information needed to establish the facts is held by the very institutions being questioned. Publishing those records allows errors to be corrected and genuine concerns to be investigated. An arrest leaves those public-spending questions unanswered.

I therefore call on law enforcement to clearly explain the grounds for Lar’s reported rearrest and ensure his access to legal counsel and humane treatment. If there is a lawful allegation against him, it should be handled through a fair process supported by evidence. If there is no lawful basis for continued detention, he should be released. Peaceful accountability work must never itself become a reason for intimidation.

The relevant councils should also address the underlying requests for information. They can publish allocations and expenditure records alongside procurement details, project locations, implementation timelines, and explanations for delays. Where allegations are disputed, a documented response would allow residents to judge the evidence. Independent verification involving community representatives and credible civil society organizations could help establish the condition of the projects concerned.

I am also concerned about what other residents may take from this. If they come to believe that asking questions could cost them their freedom, some may stop reporting concerns or attending public discussions. I cannot establish the motive for this arrest from the reports available. But the possibility of discouraging legitimate civic participation is serious enough to demand an open explanation and careful scrutiny of how the authorities have acted.

My roots in Langtang North make me especially conscious of the relationships involved. In our communities, public disagreements often involve people connected through family, friendship, and years of shared experience. Those relationships should help us sustain respectful dialogue. They should also leave room for difficult questions about how entrusted resources are managed.

The standard I advocate must apply to every administration and every political affiliation. Citizens deserve the same openness regardless of who occupies an office. Advocates owe the public the same care with evidence regardless of whom they are questioning. Our credibility depends on maintaining that consistency when it becomes uncomfortable.

Langtang deserves public leadership that welcomes scrutiny and citizens who can speak without fear of punishment for peaceful criticism. My roots in this community, my accountability work, and my commitment as a pro-freedom writer require me to defend that space consistently. I want our people to be able to ask where public money has gone, examine the evidence, and challenge the answers. Those freedoms matter to the future we are trying to build for Langtang North, Plateau State, and Nigeria.