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Tag: Mahdi Shehu

  • DSS files terrorism charges against ‘activist’ Mahdi Shehu

    DSS files terrorism charges against ‘activist’ Mahdi Shehu

    The Department of State Services (DSS) has filed five counts of terrorism-related charges against self-styled activist Muhammad Mahdi Shehu at the Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna.

    The Nation gathered yesterday that the development followed a motion ex parte filed by the agency a day earlier, seeking an order to detain Shehu for 60 days.

    The motion was filed under Section 66 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, reliable sources informed.

    Granting the order, Justice Rilwan Aikawa ruled that the DSS could detain Shehu for 60 days to allow their officers to conclude investigations.

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    The charges against Shehu include: false publication to cause public alarm, contrary to Section 59(1) of the Criminal Code Act; Dissemination of terrorism-related false information, contrary to Section 26(2)(a) and (b) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022; and Intentional dissemination of false information, contrary to Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition and Prevention, etc.) Act, 2024 (as amended).

    Others are false allegations of treasonable acts, contrary to Section 41 of the Criminal Code Act and the use of social media to support false allegations of a national security threat, contrary to Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition and Prevention, etc.) Act.

    The DSS had recently arrested Shehu following his circulation of doctored videos claiming that the Nigerian government had allowed France to establish a military base in northern Nigeria.

  • DSS files terrorism charges against Mahdi Shehu

    DSS files terrorism charges against Mahdi Shehu

    The Department of State Services (DSS) on Friday, January 17, 2025, filed five counts of terrorism-related charges against self-styled activist, Muhammad Mahdi Shehu at the Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna.

    The Nation gathered on Wednesday that the development followed a motion ex parte filed by the DSS a day earlier, seeking an order to detain Shehu for 60 days. 

    The motion was filed under Section 66 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, reliable sources informed. 

    Granting the order, Justice Rilwan Aikawa ruled that the DSS could detain Shehu for 60 days to allow their officers to conclude investigations.

    The charges against Shehu include: false publication to cause public alarm, contrary to Section 59(1) of the Criminal Code Act; Dissemination of terrorism-related false information, contrary to Section 26(2)(a) and (b) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022; and Intentional dissemination of false information, contrary to Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition and Prevention, etc.) Act, 2024 (as amended).

    Read Also: Activist Mahdi Shehu granted N3m bail over alleged fake video

    Others are false allegation of treasonable act, contrary to Section 41 of the Criminal Code Act and the use of social media to support false allegations of a national security threat, contrary to Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition and Prevention, etc.) Act.

    The DSS had recently arrested Shehu following his circulation of doctored videos claiming that the Nigerian government had allowed France to establish a military base in northern Nigeria. 

  • Activist Mahdi Shehu granted N3m bail over alleged fake video

    Activist Mahdi Shehu granted N3m bail over alleged fake video

    A Kaduna State High Court has granted an activist, Mahdi Shehu, bail of N3 million and two sureties in the like sum.

    The court held that the sureties must be renowned clerics.

    Security operatives picked up Shehu over allegations of sharing a misleading video that went viral.

    On January 2, 2025, the Chief Magistrates’ Court (CMC 1) on Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Kaduna, ordered the detention of Shehu in prison for making a social media post that allegedly threatened national security.

    Based on the order, the activist was held at the Kaduna Correctional Service Facility following his arraignment on charges bordering on conspiracy, aiding and abetting terrorism and inciting public disturbances.

    However, granting the bail application on Thursday, the presiding judge, Justice Murtala J. Zubair, said granting or refusal of bail depended largely upon the weight the court attaches to one or several of the criteria open to it in any given case.

    Justice Zubair held that, “The mere and unverified statement by the Respondent that if bail is granted, it will jeopardize their case has no probative significance to justify the withholding of bail without substantiating if with evidence.

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    “In exercising its discretion, the court is bound to examine the evidence before it without considering any extraneous matter. There is no room for the court to express its sentiments. It is a hard matter of law, facts and circumstances which the court considers without being emotional, sensitive or sentimental.

    “Generally, the court will always have it in mind that the Defendant is presumed innocent at this stage of the proceedings and that the main function of bail is to ensure the presence of the Defendant at the trial.

    “Having listened carefully to the various submissions and considered the documents placed before me and based on the above analysis, I am of the humble view that the applicant has made out a case for his admittance to bail pending his arraignment before a competent judge. This court shall exercise its discretion in favour of the applicant who has sufficiently placed before me facts that he will abide by the conditions if released on bail. There is no proof of evidence before the court. It is for this reason that I shall exercise my discretion in favour of the Applicant and assert that the defendant is entitled to bail.

    “Accordingly, bail is hereby granted to the Applicant in the sum of N3,000,000.00 and two sureties in the like sum. The sureties shall be renowned clerics. The defendant shall deposit his international passport and shall not travel out of the country without the leave of the court. The defendant shall also report to the office of the Respondent the first working day of every month. Failure of the defendant to comply with the above conditions he shall remain in custody.”