A Chief Magistrate Court has remanded Shafi’u Umar-Tureta in correctional custody for allegedly circulating false information against Governor Ahmad Aliyu and his wife on social media.
Tureta, who was the Special Assistant to former Governor Aminu Tambuwal, is charged with circulating injurious falsehood and defaming content.
The case was first mentioned on August 26, 2024, when the Police Prosecutor, Insp. Abdurahman Mansur, stated that the offenses contravened penal code law.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), the accused committed the offenses on July 18, 2024.
The prosecution alleged that Tureta circulated a video of the Governor’s wife, Hajia Fatima Aliyu, spreading money on the ground during her birthday celebration, despite the hunger and hardships faced by citizens.
Tureta is also accused of sharing a document suggesting that Governor Aliyu failed his Senior Secondary School Examination, scored F9, and is incapable of speaking English.
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The accused denied the allegations, and his lead defense counsel, Mr. Al’Mustafa Abubakar, made an oral application for bail, which the prosecution objected to. The magistrate reserved the ruling.
Earlier, Abubakar urged the court to set a date for a definite hearing, arguing that the prosecution should not delay the case under the guise of an ongoing investigation, which should have been completed before the next sitting.
In her ruling, Chief Magistrate Fatima Hassan noted that the only document before the court was the FIR. Given the nature of the offenses, she stated that the defense counsel needed to file a formal application for bail.
Hassan adjourned the case to September 18, 2024, for hearing and ordered that the accused be remanded in correctional custody.
