The Department of State Services (DSS) has filed a three-count charge against Mubarak Abdullahi, popularly known as Sardaunan Samari, over the circulation of a fake document attributed to President Bola Tinubu and purportedly addressed to the President of the United States.
The charges, which border on cybercrime and defamation, were filed at the Federal High Court in Kaduna.
Abdullahi was earlier arraigned before Chief Magistrate Court No. 10 in Kabala Doki, Kaduna, where he was ordered to be remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Centre in the state.
The development was disclosed on Monday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, in a post on X.
According to Onanuga, the suspect was arrested on September 28 after sharing the fake document on his Facebook page with the caption, “ATIKU IS COMING.”
He said Abdullahi admitted during investigations that he circulated the document and apologised for his action.
However, the presidential aide stated that the apology did not prevent the DSS from proceeding with the case.
Onanuga added that the date for the suspect’s formal arraignment before the Federal High Court had yet to be fixed.
He also maintained that the DSS would continue to demonstrate its ability to identify and track individuals involved in spreading misleading information online.
Meanwhile, human rights activist Omoyele Sowore has condemned the arrest, accusing the Federal Government of using the security agency to suppress dissenting voices.
In a post on X on Tuesday, Sowore criticised the administration of President Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress over the arrest.
He questioned the rationale behind detaining a citizen for sharing a document online and accused the government of attempting to silence critics rather than engage with opposing views.
Sowore warned that public officials would eventually be held accountable for their actions.
As of the time of filing this report, neither former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar nor his media aide, Phrank Shaibu, had publicly commented on the development.
