By Adadainfo
Mrs Aisha Buhari, Nigeria’s first lady, Friday, withdrew her case against a final year student of the Federal University, Dutse, Aminu Mohammed, who alleged that she ’embezzled’ funds meant for the poor.
Security operatives said they applied all known apparatuses in arresting the student after three days of trailing him.
The prosecution counsel, Fidelis Ogbobe, said Mrs Buhari withdrew the case due to interventions of some well-meaning Nigerians.
Ogbobe said he relied on Section 108, subsection 2(a) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act to apply for the withdrawal of the case.
Justice Yusuf Halilu of the FCT High Court thanked Mrs Buhari for taking the “bold steps” to forgive the accused. The justice advised parents to guard their wards and children in acceptable norms.
The student was charged over defamation of the character of Mrs Buhari.
Police report claimed that Muhammed was arrested at Federal University, Dutse, on 18 November 2022 after Mrs Buhari instructed a team of police detectives to track him down.
According to Premium Times, “Mr Adamu, 24, was alleged to have published a defamatory statement on his Twitter handle against Mrs Buhari.
“In the allegedly offending tweet, Mr Adamu, who is a final year student studying Environmental Management, posted a rotund picture of the first lady with a caption in Hausa saying, ‘Mama is feeding fat on poor people’s money’.
“The tweet was posted on 8 June but Mr Adamu, trailed by a team of detectives, was arrested in Dutse, North-West Nigeria, on 18 November and whisked to Abuja.
“After nearly two weeks in detention, Mr Adamu was arraigned on Tuesday before a judge, Yusuf Halilu, of the Federal Capital Territory High Court at Maitama, where he pleaded not guilty and was remanded at Suleja prison in Niger State.
“In the one-count charge marked: CR/89/2022, and dated 23 November, the police say Mr 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.’
“The police said the alleged offence bordering on defamation and cyberstalking contravened Section 391 of the Penal Code.”
