A Chief Magistrate Court in Abuja has remanded a social media influencer, Ghali Isma’il, at the Keffi Correctional Centre following his arrest by the Department of State Services (DSS).

Isma’il, aged 29 and from Jogana village in Gezawa Local Government Area of Kano State, had posted a video on his verified TikTok handle @bola_asiwaju, falsely claiming that President Bola Tinubu was gravely ill and had died from poisoning.

In a two-count presented before the court, prosecutors accused Isma’il of publishing false information with intent to disturb public peace and of inciting disaffection against the government.

The first count alleged that he intended to alarm the public by claiming to have confirmed the president’s critical illness from official sources.

The second count stated that his post was calculated to generate contempt and hostile sentiment against the President. Both charges fall under the Penal Code Act and are punishable by law.

After hearing arguments from the legal teams representing the DSS and the defendant, Magistrate Ekpeyong Iyang denied Isma’il’s bail application.

He ordered the accused to be remanded in Keffi Correctional Centre and adjourned the case until August 19.

The court proceedings follow recent developments involving misinformation on political figures.

Professor Farooq Kperogi of Kennesaw State University in the United States recently apologized for a false report alleging that former President Muhammadu Buhari and his wife, Aisha, had divorced prior to his death.

Meanwhile, Biafran separatist Simon Ekpa faces terrorism charges in Finland over his online activities.

Finnish prosecutors have demanded a six-year sentence, arguing that his posts may constitute terrorism under Finnish law.

In Nigeria, another Biafran agitator, Nnamdi Kanu, has told a Federal High Court in Abuja that his broadcasts, linked to violent outcomes, were intended as jokes.