By TAIYE AGBAJE

The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed Oct. 30 for the arraignment of five suspects for allegedly cyberbullying Sen. Shehu Umar, Chairman, Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence.

The matter was fixed for the defendants to take their plea on Tuesday.

Although counsel to the prosecution, Anthony Egwu, and the defence lawyers; Hamza Dantani and Affis Matanmi, were in court, the trial judge, Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, was absence.

The matter was subsequently fixed for Oct. 30 for the defendants to be arraigned.

An 11-count charge had been preferred against Ahmed Abdulrahman, 41 years; Daure David, 35; Ishaq Muhammed, 25; Abdulrashid Musa, 30; and Nasir Abubakar, 21, as 1st to 5th defendants respectively by the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police.

The charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/526/2025 dated Oct. 3 and filed by Egwu on Oct. 6, is on allegations bordering on cybercrime, advance fee fraud, among others.

In count one, the suspects were alleged to have, sometime in 2025, conspired among themselves “to commit an offence, to wit; cyberstalking against Sen. Shehu Buba Umar.”

The offence is said to be contrary to Section 27(1)(b) and punishable under Section. 21(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc.) Act 2015 (as amended) 2024.

In count three, Abdulrahman, the 1st suspect, was alleged to have, sometime in 2025, intentionally sent a video via his Tiktok handle with user name “Kibanna Channel” and his Youtube channel to defame the lawmaker.

The suspect was alleged to have stated that “Sen. Umar, a serving Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is a sponsor of banditry and further called for his investigation, a statement you made by means of computer systems and network knowing same to be false, for the purpose of causing breakdown of law and order.”

The offence Is also said to be contrary to Section 24(1)(5) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015 (as amended) 2024, among other counts.

Meanwhile, Musa and Abubakar (4th and 5th suspects) were alleged to have apologised, in separate video recordings, for their defamatory act against the lawmaker who represents Bauchi South Senatorial District at the National Assembly. (NAN)