Defamation: Tambuwal’s Aide denied Bail, sent to Prison

A Chief Magistrate’s Court in Sokoto has remanded, Shafi’u Umar Tureta, at a Correctional Center over alleged falsehood against the Sokoto State Governor, Ahmad Aliyu, and his wife, Hajiya Fatima Ahmed Aliyu, through social media platform.

Tureta, a former Special Assistant to former Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, was charged with circulating injurious falsehood and engraving matter known to be defamatory.

The case was first mentioned on August 26 with charges bordering on defamation of characters of the personalities.

According to the First Information Report (FIR), the accused person committed the offences on July 18, 2024.

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The Police Prosecutor, Inspector Abdurahman Mansur, told the court that the offences committed by the accuse contravened penal code law.

The accused had circulated a video of Governor’s wife, Hajia Fatima Aliyu, spreading money on ground during her birthday ceremony.

Tureta was also accused of sharing a document that indicated that Governor Aliyu had failed his Senior Secondary School Examination, scored F9 and is incapable of speaking English.

However, when the FIR was read to the accused, he denied the allegations and his Counsel, Barrister Al’Mustafa Abubakar, made an oral application for the accused bail which was objected by the Prosecution.

The Presiding Judge, Magistrate Fatima Hassan, had reserved Friday for ruling on the bail application.

When the case came up for ruling, the Chief Magistrate denied him bail, saying the only document before her is the FIR and in recognition of nature of the offenses, the Defense Counsel needed to file a formal application for the accused person’s bail.

Hassan, therefore, adjourned the case to September 18, 2024 for hearing and ordered the accused to be remanded at Correctional center custody.