A Chief Magistrate Court in Abuja has ordered the remand of social media influencer Ghali Isma’il at the Keffi Correctional Centre for allegedly publishing false claims about the health and death of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Isma’il, who was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), reportedly uploaded videos on his verified TikTok account (@bola_asiwaju) alleging that President Tinubu had died from a meal-related poisoning and serious illness.
According to court documents, the first count charge, titled “Publication of false news with intent to cause offence against public peace,” stated:
“That you, Ghali Ismail, Male, 29 years, of Jogana village, Gezawa LGA, Kano State, on or about July 20, 2025, 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 been 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.”
The second count, titled “Inciting disaffection to the government,” read:
“That you, Ghali Ismail… did publish false information… 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.”
After hearing submissions from both the DSS and the defence counsel, Magistrate Ekpeyong Iyang denied Isma’il’s bail application and ordered his remand. The case was adjourned until August 19, 2025.
Isma’il’s arraignment comes shortly after Professor Farooq Kperogi, a US-based journalism scholar, issued an apology for previously publishing a false claim that the late President Muhammadu Buhari and his wife, Aisha Buhari, had divorced before his passing.
The case also echoes recent developments involving Simon Ekpa, a Biafran separatist facing trial in Finland over terrorism-related charges.
Finnish prosecutors have accused Ekpa of using his online platforms to incite violence, with a six-year sentence being sought.
Ekpa, however, insists his posts were simply “content.”
Similarly, detained separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu recently told a Nigerian court that his controversial online broadcasts were meant as “jokes,” despite prosecutors linking them to widespread unrest and loss of lives.
