From Umar Danladi Ado, Sokoto
In Sokoto, the Chief Magistrate Court has remanded Shafi’u Umar-Tureta in Correctional Center Custody for allegedly circulating falsehoods against state Governor Ahmad Aliyu and his wife through social media platforms.
Tureta was the Special Assistant to former state Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and was charged with circulating injurious falsehood and engraving matter known to be defamatory.
It could be recalled that the case was first mentioned on Aug. 26 of this year, when the Police Prosecutor, Insp. Abdurahman Mansur, said the offences have contravene penal code law.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), the accused person committed the offences on July 18, 2024.
The prosecution said the accused person had circulated a video of the governor’s wife, Hajiya Fatima Aliyu, spreading money on the ground during her birthday ceremony despite the present hunger and hardships faced by citizens.
Tureta was also allegedly accused of sharing a document that indicated the state governor had failed his Senior Secondary School Examination, scored F9 and could not fluently speak the English language.
The accused person had denied the allegations, while the lead Defence Counsel, Barrister Al’Mustafa Abubakar, made an oral application for his bail, which was objected to by the Prosecution and Magistrate reserved for ruling.
Earlier, Abubakar urged the Judge to fix the case for a definite hearing, arguing that the prosecution should not be hiding under the guise of investigation; it ought to be completed before the next sitting.
Speaking while delivering her ruling, Chief Magistrate Fatima Hassan said the only document before her is the FIR, and in recognition of the nature of the offences, the Defense Counsel needed to file a formal application for the accused person’s bail.
Hassan adjourned the case to Sept. 18, 2024, for a hearing and ordered the accused to be remanded in Correctional Center custody.
