A chief magistrate’s court in Sokoto State arraigned Shafi’u Tureta, a media aide to former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, on Monday for allegedly defaming the current Sokoto State Governor, Ahmad Aliyu.
Although journalists were present at the court, they were prevented from covering the proceedings, reportedly on the directive of the chief magistrate, Fati Hassan.
Tureta, who was detained by the police on August 25, 2024, was accused of disseminating unlawful media content. This was his first court appearance since his arrest.
Charged with circulating injurious falsehood and disseminating defamatory content, Tureta’s offenses were said to violate the penal code law, as per the First Information Report presented by the prosecutor, Abdurahman Mansur.
The alleged incidents took place on July 18, 2024, when Tureta shared videos showing the governor’s wife, Hajia Fatima Aliyu, scattering money on the ground during her birthday celebration, amid the citizens’ reported hunger and hardships.
Furthermore, Tureta was accused of circulating a document claiming that the governor had failed his Senior Secondary School Examination, receiving a failing grade of F9 and lacking fluency in spoken English.
Following the sitting, defense counsel Mr. Al’Mustafa Abubakar revealed that Tureta denied the charges and sought bail during the oral application.
The Chief Magistrate deferred the ruling on the bail application to September 6, 2024, and ordered the accused to remain in custody at the correctional center.
The Sokoto State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party condemned Tureta’s arrest by the Nigerian Police Force and demanded his immediate release.
In a statement released on Sunday night, the party’s spokesperson criticized the Governor for ordering Tureta’s arrest over the viral video clips showing the governor’s language struggles and cash being sprayed at his wife’s birthday party.
The statement highlighted that the incriminating visuals were likely leaked by individuals from the governor’s office or family, urging the governor to address this internal leakage issue.