Shafi’u Umar, an aide to the former governor and legislator Aminu Tambuwal, has been granted a bail of N1 million by the Sokoto Chief Magistrate regarding defamation charges.
The court ruled on Wednesday that Umar, aged 37, must provide the bond due to his trial for purportedly disseminating false information about Governor Ahmad Aliyu and his spouse on social media.
During the proceedings, the prosecutor, Inspector Abdurahman Mansur, informed the court that Umar’s alleged actions violated the provisions of the Penal Code law.
He stated that on July 18, the defendant shared a video showing the governor’s wife, Fatima Aliyu, “spraying” money at her birthday celebration.
Mansur highlighted that the defendant’s social media post implied that despite the prevailing hardships and hunger in the country, the governor’s wife was extravagantly spending money.
He further alleged that Umar shared a document online asserting that the governor had failed his Senior Secondary School Examination, obtaining an F9 grade and lacking proficiency in English.
Despite entering a plea of not guilty to the charges, Umar was detained in a correctional facility by the court.
In her decision, Magistrate Fatima Hassan ordered that the defendant remain in custody until the bail amount was furnished with a surety of equal value. The court specified that the surety, who must be a Sokoto resident, must submit their National Identity Card and two passport photographs to the court.
The case was adjourned until October 10 for the prosecution to conduct further investigations.
