DSS Files Three-Count Charge Against Man Over Alleged Fake Tinubu Letter to US President
The Department of State Services has filed a three-count charge against Mubarak Abdullahi, popularly known as Sardaunan Samari, over the alleged circulation of a document purportedly written by President Bola Tinubu to the President of the United States.
Abdullahi was arrested on September 28, 2026, after allegedly sharing the document on his Facebook page with the caption, “ATIKU IS COMING”, according to an account attributed to Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy.
The suspect was subsequently brought before Chief Magistrate Court No. 10 in Kabala Doki, Kaduna State, which reportedly ordered his remand at the Nigerian Correctional Centre in Kaduna.
The DSS has also filed a three-count charge bordering on cybercrime and defamation against him at the Federal High Court in Kaduna.
However, the date for his formal arraignment before the Federal High Court had not been fixed as of the latest reports examined.
Onanuga said Abdullahi admitted to investigators that he shared the document and apologised for his actions.
The presidential aide also said the case demonstrated the security agency’s capacity to trace people involved in circulating misleading information online.
The reported admission concerns the sharing of the document. It does not, by itself, establish the suspect’s guilt on the charges filed against him.
Sowore Criticises Arrest
The arrest has drawn criticism from human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, who questioned the decision to involve the DSS in a case concerning a social media post.
In a statement published on his X account, Sowore accused the government of using a national security agency to suppress dissenting voices.
He described the arrest as troubling and argued that citizens should not face what he considered excessive state action for posting material online.
His comments represent criticism of the government’s handling of the case, rather than a judicial determination of whether the suspect committed any offence.
Court Proceedings Yet to Reach Federal High Court Arraignment
The reported proceedings involve two separate stages.
The first was Abdullahi’s appearance before the Chief Magistrate Court in Kaduna, which ordered his remand. The second concerns the three-count charge reportedly filed by the DSS at the Federal High Court in the same state.
The available reports did not establish that the Federal High Court had begun hearing the charges or that the court had determined the allegations against him.
The case centres on a document presented online as correspondence from Tinubu to the US president. The available information does not include the complete charge sheet or a detailed account of the prosecution’s evidence.
The suspect’s formal arraignment before the Federal High Court remained pending as of the latest reports examined.
