Defamation: Court Grants Bail To Tambuwal’s Aide

Sokoto Magistrate Court has granted bail to the immediate past Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal’s aide, Shafi’u Umar, for allegedly circulating falsehoods against Governor Ahmed Aliyu and his wife on social media.

Recall that, Umar, 37, a special assistant to former Governor Tambuwal, is charged with circulating injurious falsehood and engraving matter known as defamatory.

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

The Prosecution said the defendant circulated a video of the governor’s wife, Hajia Fatima Aliyu, “spraying” money during her birthday ceremony despite the present hardships faced by citizens.

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

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

The defendant had pleaded not guilty to the charge and was remanded in Correctional Center custody.

Ruling on a bail application filed by the lead Defence Counsel, Mr Al’Mustafa Abubakar, the trial judge, Magistrate Fatima Hassan, granted Umar bail in the sum of N1 million with a surety in like sum.

Hassan ordered that the surety be a resident of Sokoto and deposit his National Identity Card and two copies of passport photographs in the court.

She adjourned the case to October 10, 2024, for the Prosecution to complete their investigation, as assured by Police Prosecutor Mansur. She ordered that the defendant be remanded in a corrections facility for failing bail conditions.