Court Remands TikToker In Prison For Announcing Tinubu’s Death

A Chief Magistrate Court on Friday remanded a TikToker, Ghali Isma’il at the Keffi Correctional Centre for posting online videos purporting that President Bola Tinubu died from serious illness.

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested Isma’il days after he posted the videos on the TikTok handle @bola_asiwaju.

Count one of the two-count charge, titled: “Publication of false news with intent to cause offence against public peace,” read: “That you, Ghali Ismail, male, 29 years of Jogana village, Gezawa LGA, Kano State, on or about July 20, 2025 and within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did publish false information by uploading a video clip on your verified Tiktok handle (“bola-asiwaju”) wherein you falsely claimed that you reliably confirmed from official sources that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was critically ill, having been poisoned through his meal, with intent to cause public alarm and disturb public peace.
You thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 418 of the Penal Code Act, Cap P3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”

The count two of the charge reads, “That you, Ghali Ismail, Male, 29 years, of Jogana village, Gezawa LGA, Kano State, on or about July 20, 2025 and within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, did publish false information by uploading a video clip on your verified Tiktok handle (“bola-asiwaju”) wherein you falsely claimed that you reliably confirmed from official sources that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was critically ill, having been poisoned through his meal, with intent to bring contempt or incite feelings of disaffection against the person of the President. You thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 416 of the Penal Code Act, Cap P3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”

After taking arguments by both counsels to the DSS and that of the defendant whose application for bail was denied, the presiding judge, Ekpeyong Iyang, ordered Ismail to be remanded in Keffi Correctional Centre.