The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has taken over the prosecution of an Abuja-based lawyer, Ahmed Abdulrahman, and four others accused of cyberbullying a serving Senator, Shehu Umar.
Other defendants in the charge that was brought before the court by the Inspector General of Police, IGP, are; Daure David, Ishaq Abubakar Muhammed, Abdulrashid Abdullahi Musa and Nasiru Usman Abubakar, who were identified as social media influencers.
They were accused of blackmailing the Senate Committee Chairman on National Security and Intelligence.
The defendants had on October 30 when they were arraigned before the court, pleaded not guilty to an 11-count charge that bordered on cyber bullying, advance fee fraud, and extortion.
At the resumed proceeding in the matter on Thursday, a lawyer from the office of the AGF, Nueebu Leyii Abueh, announced appearance for the prosecution.
The counsel, who is from the Federal Ministry of Justice, told the court that the AGF has taken over the case from the police.
Meanwhile, trial Justice Rita Offili Ajumogobia held that the court was minded to release the defendants on bail, pending the determination of the case against them.
Consequently, in separate rulings, the court admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N1million each, with one surety each in the like sum.
It held that the sureties, who must be employees of the federal government, must not be below grade level 12.
Alternatively, the court held that if the sureties are not civil servants, they must be reputable persons that own landed property within the Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC.
It stressed that the property must have a Certificate of Occupancy, with original copy of the document deposited with the Registrar of the Court.
More so, the court ordered the sureties to swear to affidavit of means, and also deposit two of their passport photographs before the defendants would be released on bail.
Justice Rita Offili-Ajumogobia held that the defendants should remain in custody, pending the perfection of the bail conditions.
She subsequently adjourned the matter to January 26, 2026, for continuation of trial.
In count one of the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/526/2025, the defendants were alleged to had sometime in 2025, conspired among themselves “to commit an offence, to wit; cyberstalking against Senator Shehu Buba Umar.”
The offence is said to be contrary to Section 27(1)(b) and punishable under Section 21(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc.) Act 2015 (as amended) 2024.
In count three, the 1st defendant, Abdulrahman, was alleged to had sometime in 2025, intentionally sent a video via his Tiktok handle with user name “Kibanna Channel” and his Youtube channel, to defame the lawmaker by linking him to sponsorship of banditry, with a view to tarnishing his image as a serving Senator.
The suspect was alleged to have stated that “Senator Umar, a serving Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is a sponsor of banditry and called for his investigation, a statement you made by means of computer systems and network knowing same to be false, for the purpose of causing breakdown of law and order and causing the Senator fear of death.”
The offence was said to be contrary to Section 24(1)(5) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015 (as amended) 2024, among other counts.
More so, in one of the counts, another defendant, David, was accused of attempting to collect N5million from Senator Umar under false pretense that the money would be used to settle people that were planning to protest against the lawmaker.
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