Justice Rita Offili Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered that a legal practitioner, Ahmed Abdulrahman and four others be remanded at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Area 10, Abuja, till November 10, following their arraignment on cyber bullying a serving Senator, Senator Shehu Baba Umar.

The lawyer was on Thursday, put on trial by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) along with four others, namely Daure David, Ishaq Abubakar Muhammed, Abdulrashid Abdullahi Musa, and Nasiru Usman Abubakar, for allegedly blackmailing the Senate Committee Chairman on National Security and Intelligence.

The IGP docked them on an 11-count charge bordering on cyber bullying, advance fee fraud and extortion.

However, when the charges were read before Justice Rita Offili Ajumogobia, the lawyer and the other four defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Upon the not-guilty pleas of the lawyer and his co-defendants, Counsel to the prosecution, Victor Okoye, asked for a trial date and for the defendants to be remanded to the Kuje prison, Abuja.

Counsel to the lawyer, Affis Matanmi, however, moved a bail application on behalf of his client, who he said is a legal practitioner of the Supreme Court and will not interfere with police investigation and witnesses if admitted to bail.

He reminded the court that police, on their own, granted the first defendant administrative bail, which he did not jump because, as a lawyer, he knows the consequences of jumping bail.

However, the bail request was vehemently opposed by the counsel to the prosecution, Victor Okoye, who informed the court that shortly after the lawyer was admitted to bail, he engaged in two other cases of cyberbullying and that he featured prominently in five of the eleven count charges.

Okoye argued that, although the first defendant is a confirmed legal practitioner, he does not deserve any preferential or special treatment because there is no provision in the Administration of Criminal Justice Act and the 1999 Constitution that confers any special treatment on any legal practitioner involved in criminality.

After considering the arguments for and against the bail application, Justice Ajumogobia ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Force CID until November 10, to allow the lawyer for the first defendant to file a further affidavit and a legal reply to the serious allegations contained in the prosecution’s counter affidavit.

The Judge subsequently adjourned the matter till November 10.

In count one, the defendants were alleged to have, sometime in 2025, conspired among themselves “to commit an offence, to wit; cyberstalking against Senator 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 defendant was alleged to have, sometime in 2025, intentionally sent a video via his Tiktok handle with the username “Kibanna Channel” and his YouTube channel to defame the lawmaker by linking him to sponsorship of banditry with a view to tarnishing his image as a serving Senator.

The suspect was alleged to have stated that “Senator Umar, a serving Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is a sponsor of banditry and 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 and causing the Senator fear of death.

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.

In one of the counts, Daure David was accused of attempting to collect N5 million from Senator Umar under false pretences that the money would be used to settle those planning to protest against him.

Senator Buba had earlier commended security agencies for the arrest of the individuals behind a coordinated defamatory campaign that targeted him and others.

Buba, Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, urged Nigerians to remain peaceful, verify information before sharing, and focus on issues affecting society.

“I have always stood for peace and the welfare of our people. I deny these baseless allegations and will continue to work in favour of Bauchi South,” the lawmaker assured.