A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered that lawyer Ahmed Abdulrahman and four others remain in police custody pending a ruling on a bail application filed on their behalf.
Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, on Wednesday, fixed November 24 to deliver her ruling on Abdulrahman’s bail request and to take further mention of the case.
The defendants, prosecuted by the Inspector-General of Police, are accused of cyberbullying Senator Shehu Buba Umar, who chairs the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence.
The accused persons—Abdulrahman (41), Daure David (35), Ishaq Muhammed (25), Abdulrashid Musa (30), and Nasir Abubakar (21)—were arraigned on October 30 on an 11-count charge bordering on cybercrime, cyberstalking, defamation and attempted fraud.
They pleaded not guilty and were ordered remanded at the Force Criminal Investigation Department, FCID, Abuja.
At Wednesday’s hearing, Abdulrahman’s counsel, Afeez Matanmi, informed the court that his client’s bail application was ripe for hearing, adding that he had filed a reply on points of law to counter the prosecution’s objections. He urged the court to grant bail.
Counsel to the fourth defendant, A.A. Badmus, also attempted to move a pending bail application but was declined as the judge noted that time was spent. “I will hear you on Monday,” she ruled.
One of the charges alleges that the defendants conspired in 2025 to commit cyberstalking against Senator Umar, an offence said to contravene Section 27(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes Act.
Another count accuses Abdulrahman of intentionally circulating a defamatory video via his TikTok and YouTube channels—known as Kibanna Channel—in which he allegedly linked the senator to sponsoring banditry, an allegation prosecutors say he knew to be false and capable of causing public disorder.
In a separate count, Daure David is accused of attempting to obtain N5 million from Senator Umar under the guise of preventing protests against him.
Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia adjourned the matter to November 24 for ruling on the first defendant’s bail application and for further proceedings.