DSS files terrorism charges against Mahdi Shehu

From Molly Kilete, Abuja

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

The five-count charge, filed on Friday, January 17, 2025, as gathered by Daily Sun, followed a motion ex parte filed by the DSS a day earlier, seeking an order to detain Shehu for 60 days.

It was also gathered that the motion was filed under Section 66 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. 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).

Others are false allegation of a 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.