Court sends Tambuwal’s aide to prison for defaming Sokoto governor, wife

A Sokoto Chief Magistrate Court, on Friday, September 6, 2024, remanded Shafi’u Umar in a correctional centre for circulating falsehoods against Governor Ahmad Aliyu and his wife, Fatima Aliyu, on social media.

Umar, 37, the ex-Special Assistant to former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, is charged with circulating injurious falsehood and engraving matter known to be defamatory.

The case was first mentioned on August 26, and the Police Prosecutor, Inspector Abdurahman Mansur, said the offence contravened the penal code law.

According to the First Information Report (FIR), the defendant committed the offence on July 18.

The prosecutor said the defendant circulated a video of the governor’s wife “spraying” money during her birthday ceremony despite the present hardship faced by Nigerians.

Umar was also accused of sharing a document that indicated that Governor Aliyu failed his Senior Secondary School Examination by scoring F9 and is incapable of speaking English.

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The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The lead defence counsel, Al’Mustafa Abubakar, made an oral application for bail which was objected to by the prosecution and the Magistrate reserved for ruling.

Earlier, Abubakar urged the judge to adjourn the case for definite hearing arguing that the prosecution not hide under the guise of investigation, which ought to have been completed before the next sitting.

In her ruling, Chief Magistrate, Fati Hassan, said the only document before her was the FIR and in recognition of the nature of the offence, the defence counsel needs to file a formal application for his client’s bail.

Hassan ordered that the defendant be remanded in a correctional centre.

She, therefore, adjourned the case until September 18.

The Star