Court remands journalist for allegedly ‘blackmailing’ Bauchi Governor

A Bauchi Magistrate’s court, yesterday, remanded the Publisher of WikkiTimes, an online media outfit in the state, Haruna Mohammed for alleged disturbance of public peace and attempt to blackmail the state governor, Bala Mohammed.

The Chief Magistrate in charge of Court three, Ahmed Musa, remanded the accused person at the Correctional Centre in Bauchi, pending the hearing of the matter today (Wednesday).

Mohammed was arrested in Duguri, the hometown of the governor on Saturday, February 25, and was taken to the Police Criminal Investigation Department before his arraignment.

Eyewitness accounts said he was recording some women who were aggrieved over their inability to get employment after submission of their resumes at different quarters, saying they would not participate in the presidential election.

The publisher was arraigned at the Magistrate/District Court with the charges that he was allegedly inciting disturbance of public peace and to blackmail the governor.

A copy of the allegation levelled against Mohammed sighted by The Guardian after the hearing showed that the complainant, Commissioner of Police, said the accused person hired some women to incite disturbance of public peace by instigating them to make utterances that would prejudice the peace and well being of the intended voters at the polling unit in Duguri ward of Alkaleri Local Council and to blackmail the incumbent governor in his ward contrary to section 114 of the Penal Code.

The accused person denied all the charges when they were read to him.

Counsel to the accused, S.G Idrees sought for bail application of his client, but a counsel from the Ministry of Justice, Haruna Mohammed, said that they would like to take over the case from the Police and continue with the case as contained in the 1999 Constitution.

The Magistrate adjourned to today, March 1, 2023, to enable him rule on the bail application.