Magistrate Fatima Hassan of the Sokoto Chief Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday granted Shafiu Umar, the Special Assistant to former Governor Aminu Tambuwal, N1 million bail.

Umar, 37, was arraigned by the police for allegedly circulating falsehoods against Governor Ahmad Aliyu and his wife on social media.

He was also charged with engraving matter known to be defamatory.

The case was first mentioned on August 26, and the police prosecutor, Insp. Abdurahman Mansur, said the offence contravened the penal code law.

According to the First Information Report (FIR), the defendant committed the offence on July 18.

The prosecution said the defendant circulated a video of the governor’s wife, Hajia Fatima Aliyu, spraying money during her birthday ceremony despite the present economic hardship in the country.

READ ALSO: Tambuwal’s media aide jailed for allegedly criticizing Sokoto First Lady who sprayed dollars at birthday party

Umar was also accused of sharing a document that indicated that Governor Aliyu failed his Senior Secondary School Examination (SSCE), scored F9, and is incapable of speaking English.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges and was remanded in a correctional center in the state.

Ruling in the bail application filed by the lead defence counsel, Mr. Al’Mustafa Abubakar, the magistrate granted the defendant bail in the sum of N1 million with a surety in like sum.

Hassan ordered that the surety should be a resident of Sokoto and deposit his National Identity Card along with two copies of passport photographs in the court.

She adjourned the case to October 10 for further mention and prosecution to complete its investigation on the matter.

She ordered that the defendant should be remanded in a corrections facility if he fails to complete the bail conditions.

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