Nigeria’s first lady, Aisha Buhari, is billed to testify against Aminu Adamu, a student of the Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa state, who allegedly defamed her on Twitter.
Recall that Adamu, 24, posted a Tweet with a picture of the wife of the president with a caption in Hausa saying:
“Mama is feeding fat on poor people’s money.”
Months after posting the tweet, the final-year student studying Environmental Management was arrested in Dutse, Jigawa state, on Friday, November 18, and whisked to Abuja.
Adamu was subsequently arraigned on Tuesday, November 29, where he pleaded not guilty.
Following the student’s not-guilty plea, the court remanded him at Suleja prison in Niger State.
The charge against Aminu Adamu
In the one-count charge marked: CR/89/2022 and dated Wednesday, November 23, the police say Adamu “between May and June 2022 within the jurisdiction of this court, did intentionally open a Twitter handle with the name …Catalyst and screenshot the photograph of her Excellency Hajia Aisha Buhari and wrote on it in Hausa language… roughly translated to English language to mean ‘Mama has embezzled monies meant for the poor to satisfaction’ and posted same on your above Twitter handle.. knowing same to be false and capable of affecting her reputation.”
According to the police, the alleged offence bordering on defamation and cyberstalking contravened Section 391 of the Penal Code.
Five witnesses to testify against Aminu Adamu in court
Bellnewsonline.com stated five witnesses have been assembled by the prosecution to establish the case against Adamu.
It added that a list of witnesses attached to the proof of evidence filed by the police sighted on Wednesday night, November 30, shows that Mrs Buhari, the nominal complainant, is one of the five witnesses.
Another witness is Festus Jossiah, one of the investigators that tracked and arrested the defendant.
Abdulsalam Zakari, Yahaya Njayo and Haliru Tahir, all police officers, are the other proposed prosecution witnesses lined up against the defendant.
Exhibits against Aminu Adamu
It was gathered that court filings signed by James Idachaba, a lawyer at the FCT police legal department in Abuja, listed Adamu’s statement, a printout of the alleged defamatory post and an iPhone belonging to the embattled student as exhibits.
Adamu’s confiscated phone has reportedly been sent to the Terrorism Investigation Branch, Force Intelligence Bureau in Abuja “for analysis” and “evidential value.”
Aminu Adamu seeks bail
Meanwhile, Adamu has urged the court to grant him bail.
His lawyer, Kingsley Agu, filed a bail application dated Friday, November 25, seeking an order admitting his client to bail pending the determination of the suit.
He based his application on the grounds that Adamu had never been charged with any crime.
However, the presiding judge, Yusuf Halilu, adjourned the case until Monday, January 30, 2023 for the hearing of the defendant’s bail request.