A Chief Magistrate Court in Abuja has ordered the remand of social media influencer, Ghali Isma’il, at the Keffi Correctional Centre following the circulation of a viral TikTok video in which he falsely claimed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had died.
Isma’il was apprehended by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) shortly after uploading the video on his verified TikTok handle, @bola-asiwaju. In the clip, he alleged that President Tinubu had died from a severe illness after being poisoned through his meal.
He is facing a two-count charge. The first count, titled “Publication of False News with Intent to Cause Offence Against Public Peace,” states that:
“You, Ghali Isma’il, male, 29 years old, of Jogana village, Gezawa LGA, Kano State, on or about the 20th of July 2025, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did publish false information via your verified TikTok account (‘bola-asiwaju’), falsely claiming to have confirmed from official sources that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was critically ill after being poisoned, with intent to cause public alarm and disturb the 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, “Inciting Disaffection Against the Government,” reads:
“You, Ghali Isma’il, male, 29 years old, of Jogana village, Gezawa LGA, Kano State, on or about the 20th of July 2025, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, published false information via your verified TikTok handle (‘bola-asiwaju’), falsely asserting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was critically ill from poisoning, intending to incite contempt or 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.”
Following arguments from both the prosecution and defense, the presiding judge, Ekpeyong Iyang, denied Isma’il’s application for bail and ordered his remand at the Keffi Correctional Centre. The case was adjourned until August 19.
Isma’il’s arraignment comes amid a growing concern over the spread of misinformation on social media. Just days earlier, Farooq Kperogi, a professor of journalism at Kennesaw State University in the United States, publicly apologized for erroneously reporting that former President Muhammadu Buhari and his wife, Aisha Buhari, were divorced at the time of his death.
In a related development, Biafran agitator Simon Ekpa is currently facing prosecution in Finland, where authorities are seeking a six-year prison sentence over his alleged online incitement and separatist activities, which prosecutors argue constitute terrorism under Finnish law.
Similarly, last week in Abuja, detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu told a Federal High Court that his controversial online broadcasts — which prosecutors claim led to numerous deaths — were “just jokes.”
