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From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday ordered the remand of Ishaq Muhammed in Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing of his motion to set aside a bench warrant issued against him in his trial for allegedly cyberbullying Senator Shehu Umar.
Justice Rita Offili-Ajumogobia adjourned the case until November 24 for the hearing of the prosecution’s application to revoke the bail of another defendant, Abuja-based lawyer Ahmed Abdulrahman.
The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) is prosecuting Muhammed, Abdulrahman and three others in charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/526/2025 on allegations of defamation and cybercrime, among others, against the senator.
Umar represents Bauchi South Senatorial District and is the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) candidate in the 2027 Bauchi State governorship election.
Abdulrahman is the 1st defendant. Daure David, Muhammed, Abdulrashid Musa and Nasir Abubakar are the 2nd to 5th defendants respectively.
On September 29, the judge issued a bench warrant for Muhammed’s arrest after he failed to appear for his trial. The order followed an oral application by the AGF’s counsel, David Kaswe, an assistant director at the Federal Ministry of Justice. Muhammed was in court on Tuesday, but Abdulrahman was absent.
Kaswe told the court that the prosecution had been served that morning with a letter explaining Abdulrahman’s absence, and another stating that David had been involved in an accident and was unwell.
He objected to David’s medical report on the ground that it came from a private hospital, whereas the law requires such reports to come from a government hospital to be admissible.
Abdulrahman’s letter came from the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, but Kaswe urged the court to revoke his bail anyway.
He described the letter as an afterthought, sent only on Tuesday, and argued that Abdulrahman knew of the day’s proceedings and of the prosecution’s intention to seek revocation.
He noted that the medical report was dated November 3, 2026.
Kaswe recalled that he had applied on Sept. 29 for revocation of Abdulrahman’s bail.
He argued that the lawyer had breached his bail conditions by continuing to post defamatory messages and videos against the senator in defiance of a court order. He urged the court to discountenance the letter.
He also reminded the court of the bench warrant against Muhammed and asked that he be remanded in Kuje pending the hearing of his motion to vacate it, which his lawyer, R. A. Bamigboye, had filed.
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Abdulrahman’s counsel, V. Damgdem, said his client was facing a medical emergency at the teaching hospital and that the defence was “open to investigation.”
He added that although the bail revocation motion had been served, the defence was still within time to respond.
David’s lawyer, Vincent Owhor, said his client was involved in an accident in Bauchi State on October 15 and was taken to a private hospital. Citing Section 41(1) of the Evidence Act 2011, he argued that the court had discretion to admit the report, so long as it came from a qualified medical practitioner.
He said David had always attended court before now, and that the absence was “not a gimmick.”
Bamigboye argued that the bench warrant had been issued to secure Muhammed’s attendance and that his client was already in court.
He said Muhammed had also been in court on the last adjourned date, though the court did not sit, and had arrived late. He asked the court to suspend execution of the warrant pending the hearing of the motion.
Counsel to the 4th defendant, A. A. Badmos, and the 5th defendant, Hamza Dantani, did not oppose the adjournment sought for Abdulrahman. Dantani’s attempts to intervene in the application to remand Muhammed were unsuccessful.
The judge granted the prosecution’s application to remand Muhammed. She adjourned until November 24 for the hearing of the bail revocation application against Abdulrahman, the motion to vacate Muhammed’s bench warrant, and trial.
The defendants were originally prosecuted by the Inspector-General of Police in an 11-count charge filed on Oct. 6, 2025. They were arraigned on Oct. 30, 2025, pleaded not guilty and were remanded in Kuje before being granted bail. The AGF took over the case in December 2025.
Count one alleges that the defendants conspired in 2025 to commit cyberstalking against the senator, contrary to Section 27(1)(b) and punishable under Section 21(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015 (as amended in 2024).
Count three alleges that Abdulrahman sent a video through his TikTok handle, “Kibanna Channel,” and his YouTube channel, linking the senator to the sponsorship of banditry in order to damage his reputation.
He allegedly stated that the senator was a sponsor of banditry and called for his investigation, knowing the claim to be false, with the aim of causing a breakdown of law and order and putting the senator in fear of death.
The offence is said to be contrary to Section 24 of the same Act.
subsection cited in count three, which appeared as “24(1)(5)” in the original.
