A Sokoto Magistrate Court has remanded Shafi’u Umar Tureta, who was accused of spreading media contents against Gov. Ahmad Aliyu of Sokoto state and his wife.
The Newsmen reports that journalists from both national and international media organizations were locked out of the Magistrate’s chamber to cover proceeyon the alleged order of the trial Judge, Chief Magistrate Fati Hassan.
Umar Tureta was allegedly accused of spreading unlawful media contents and was detained by police till today Monday.
However, when Journalists obtained the First Information Report (FIR) indicated that the accused person was charged with circulating injurious falsehood and engeraving matter known to be defamatory, the offences that contravened penal code law.
According to the FIR, the accused person committed the offences sometimes in July he shared vedios of Governor’s wife, Hajia Fatima Aliyu, spreading money on ground during her birthday ceremony in spite of present hunger and hardships faced by citizens.
Umar Tureta was also allegedly accused of sharing a document that indicated that Gov. Aliyu failed his Senior Secondary School Examination as he scored F9 and not capable of speaking English fluently.
In an interview with the Defence Counsel, Mr Yusuf Abubakar, after the sitting, he told newsmen that Umar Tureta denied the charges and made oral application for his bail.
Abubakar said the Chief Magistrate adjourned the ruling on bail application to Sept. 6, 2024 and remanded the accused person in correctional center custody.