Court remands TikToker over false claim of Tinubu’s death

A An Abuja Chief Magistrate Court on Friday ordered the remand of a social media influencer, Ghali Isma’il, at the Keffi Correctional Centre for spreading false information claiming that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had died following a serious illness.

Isma’il, 29, from Jogana Village in Gezawa Local Government Area of Kano State, was arrested by operatives of the State Security Services (SSS) after his viral TikTok videos sparked widespread alarm. Using the verified handle @bola_asiwaju, Isma’il alleged that President Tinubu was critically ill after being poisoned, claiming to have confirmed this from official sources.

The SSS arraigned Isma’il on a two-count charge: publication of false news and incitement against the government.

Count One, titled “Publication of false news with intent to cause offence against public peace,” reads: “That you, Ghali Isma’il… published false information by uploading a video on your verified TikTok handle (@bola_asiwaju) wherein you falsely claimed to have confirmed from official sources that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was critically ill after being poisoned through his meal, with intent to cause public alarm and disturb the peace. You thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 418 of the Penal Code Act, Cap P3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”

Count Two, “Inciting disaffection against the government,” states: “That you, Ghali Isma’il… published false information on your verified TikTok handle falsely claiming reliable confirmation from official sources that President Tinubu was critically ill after being poisoned, with intent to incite public contempt or disaffection against the President. This is an offence punishable under Section 416 of the Penal Code Act, Cap P3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”

After hearing arguments from both the prosecution and defence, the presiding judge, Ekpeyong Inyang, denied the defendant bail and ordered his remand at Keffi Correctional Centre. The case was adjourned to August 19, 2025.

Isma’il’s arraignment comes amid a broader clampdown on the misuse of digital platforms to spread disinformation and incite unrest. Just days earlier, U.S.-based Nigerian professor of journalism, Farooq Kperogi, publicly apologised for falsely alleging that late President Muhammadu Buhari and his wife, Aisha Buhari, had divorced before his death.

Separatist agitator Simon Ekpa, who is currently being prosecuted in Finland, is also under scrutiny for using social media to allegedly promote terrorism. Finnish authorities argue that Ekpa’s online activities — although orchestrated from abroad — constitute terrorist conduct under Finnish law, and are seeking a six-year sentence. Ekpa, however, claims his videos were merely for content creation.

Similarly, in a Federal High Court in Abuja last week, detained Biafran separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu told the court that his previous online broadcasts, which prosecutors argue incited deadly violence, were simply intended as jokes.