A Magistrate Court in Abuja on Friday ordered the remand of a 29-year-old TikToker, Mr Ghali Isma’il, who posted online videos purporting that President Bola Tinubu had died after taking poisoned food.
The presiding magistrate, Mr Inyang Ekpenyong, gave the order after the Department of State Services (DSS) had arraigned the accused, some days after he had posted the fake videos on the TikTok handle @bola_asiwaju.
Count one of the two-count charge entitled ‘Publication of false news with intent to offend public peace’ reads: “That you, Ghali Ismail, Male, twenty-nine (29) years of Jogana village, Gezawa LGA, Kano State, on or about the 20th Day of July, 2025 and within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, did publish false information by uploading a video clip on your verified Tiktok handle (“bola-asiwaju”) wherein you falsely claimed that you reliably confirmed from official sources that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was critically ill, having being poisoned through his meal, with intent to cause public alarm and disturb public peace.
“You thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 418 of the Penal Code Act, Cap P3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.’
Count two, “Inciting disaffection to the government,’ reads: “That you, Ghali Ismail, Male, twenty-nine (29) years, of Jogana village, Gezawa LGA, Kano State, on or about the 20th Day of July, 2025 and within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did publish false information by uploading a video clip on your verified Tiktok handle (“bola-asiwaju”) wherein you falsely claimed that you reliably confirmed from official sources that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was critically ill, having been poisoned through his meal, with intent to bring contempt or incite feelings of disaffection against the person of the President. You thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 416 of the Penal Code Act, Cap P3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”
After taking arguments by both counsel to the DSS and that of the defendant, whose application for bail was denied, the presiding judge, Ekpenyong Inyang, ordered Ismail to be remanded in Keffi Correctional Centre. The matter was adjourned till August 19, 2025.
