Abuja Court Remands 29-Year-Old Influencer Over Alleged False Report on President Tinubu’s Health Status
An Abuja Chief Magistrate Court on Friday ordered the remand of a 29-year-old social media influencer, Ghali Isma’il, at the Keffi Correctional Centre for allegedly spreading false information about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s health.
Isma’il, a resident of Jogana village in Gezawa Local Government Area of Kano State, was arraigned on a two-count charge of “publication of false news” and “inciting disaffection against the government.”
According to court filings, the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested Isma’il after he posted a video on his verified TikTok account, @bola_asiwaju, falsely claiming that President Tinubu had died from poisoning. Prosecutors said the video, which quickly went viral, was intended to cause public alarm and erode confidence in the presidency.
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The first charge, “Publication of False News with Intent to Cause Offence Against Public Peace,” stated that Isma’il “falsely claimed he reliably confirmed from official sources that President Tinubu was critically ill, having been poisoned through his meal,” in a manner calculated to disturb public peace. The offence is punishable under Section 418 of the Penal Code Act.
The second charge accused him of “inciting disaffection against the government,” contrary to Section 416 of the same law.
Presiding Magistrate Ekpeyong Iyang denied bail and ordered that Isma’il be remanded in Keffi Correctional Centre until the next hearing, scheduled for August 19, 2025.
Isma’il’s arraignment adds to a growing number of legal cases involving politically sensitive online statements. Earlier this week, Nigerian-American journalism professor Farooq Kperogi issued a public apology after falsely claiming that former President Muhammadu Buhari and his wife, Aisha Buhari, had divorced.
Meanwhile, in Finland, prosecutors are seeking a six-year sentence for Biafran separatist agitator Simon Ekpa, who faces terrorism-related charges tied to inflammatory online content. Ekpa, however, insists his posts were only for content creation.
Similarly, Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), told a Federal High Court in Abuja last week that his controversial online broadcasts, which authorities linked to violent unrest, were meant as jokes—not incitement.
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